Girls learn to push back against online misogyny in class as University of Roehampton project rethinks how democracy is taught
A new five-lesson classroom programme developed by the University of Roehampton is helping girls in disadvantaged schools gain confidence to speak up, engage in politics, and challenge the rise of online misogyny that is reshaping attitudes among young people.
Girls’ Empowerment through Politics in Classrooms (G-EPIC) Intervention research was led by Professor Bryony Hoskins, Professor of Comparative Social Science at the University of Roehampton, and it involved more than 884 Year 9 girls from British schools with high levels of deprivation.
Children initially displayed a narrow understanding of politics, primarily associating it with government and failing to realise that it relates to everyday issues, such as upskirting and period poverty.
After completing the five lessons, participants reported marked gains in political knowledge, self-belief and confidence in public speaking. Researchers found that girls who had begun the course unsure how politics related to their lives ended it by presenting campaigns on issues, such as period poverty and gender equality.
The data showed consistent and statistically significant improvements in students’ confidence to understand and engage in political life. Participants reported feeling better equipped to influence decisions and more aware of their ability to take action on local or national issues. Students said:
"I liked learning about all the different ways you can campaign for change. And learning about problems that affect us as girls. And by the end of all those five lessons, I feel more confident in taking part in politics." (girl from an ethnic/religious minority background)
"I didn't realise period poverty was as big as it was. It affects not just mothers; it also affects young children and how they will be affected in their lives in more generations […]. So, it definitely changed my views on the world and my perspective." (girl from an ethnic/religious minority background)
Teachers agreed, saying, “The potential for future impact is significant, particularly in ensuring that young girls feel confident and informed to engage in politics.”
Addressing the influence of online misogyny
The research comes at a time when schools are struggling with the growing influence of online personalities such as Andrew Tate on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and X. Both the Home Office and Ofsted have warned that this kind of material can contribute to the radicalisation of young people, but nearly three-quarters of Gen Z have seen such content, with half encountering it every week on social media.
Teachers involved in G-EPIC described how some girls unknowingly used misogynistic language such as ‘ting’ about themselves, a reflection, said one, of “how deeply these messages have sunk in”.
According to the APPG report, Missing Link, teachers say they feel ill-prepared to address these issues. In contrast, students in fee-paying schools or maintained secondary schools are far more likely to receive a well-rounded political education.
Teachers welcomed the development of the programme as offering a positive counter to the "manosphere" ideology and online misogyny. “It was good timing,” one teacher noted. “I know a lot of the Bengali girls really got into it and really enjoyed it. And I think they hugely benefited from it as well. With so much misogyny online, it’s exactly the kind of project we need to promote women's rights and the role of young girls.”
Professor Hoskins commented, “With the government reviewing Personal Social Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship provision, these findings could transform how we teach democracy in the age of TikTok. We’re working with a generation of girls who have grown up online, where misogynistic messages are hard to avoid. What we’re seeing is that, through these lessons, they begin to question those messages, gain confidence in what they know, and start to see themselves as people who can take part and make change.”
The programme has been welcomed by participating teachers, with 77% agreeing or strongly agreeing that it helped increase their confidence in teaching about gender and politics.
Co-designed with teachers across five countries
Co-designed with teachers, students, policymakers, and civil society partners in England, plus Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Czechia, the programme can be delivered with minimal training and without costly technology or consultants, making it scalable and sustainable for under-resourced schools.
The programme uses real-world case studies, such as Gina Martin’s upskirting campaign, which helped the children understand the relevance of politics to their lives.
Professor Hoskins said, “Political self-efficacy isn’t just about voting or taking part in debates. It’s about having the confidence to speak up when something feels wrong. When girls understand how power and decision-making work, they’re better able to challenge the misogyny they encounter online or in the classroom. They start to see that their voices matter, and that they can influence the world around them.”
Re-thinking how we teach democracy
Data from the Electoral Commission shows that young people aged 18-24 remain the least likely to register or turn out to vote, with many saying they have little trust in political institutions and believe they can’t make a difference. Girls consistently report lower political confidence than boys, and this can be exacerbated by dynamics within classroom discussions, which tend to boost boys’ confidence but have a detrimental effect on girls’ political efficacy.
Because political self-efficacy strongly predicts future participation, tackling this inequality is vital — both to strengthen gender equality in civic life and to safeguard democracy amid growing political disengagement and the persistent underrepresentation of women in leadership. The research team believes that teaching politics in a more inclusive and practical way could be an important step towards restoring young people’s interest and trust in democratic life.
Following the completion of the pilot and upscaling phases in 2024 and 2025, Roehampton researchers are now working with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Political and Media Literacy and MPs at the House of Commons to explore curriculum adoption and teacher training integration. A stakeholder conference in Brussels on 3-4 November, teacher training on 28 November and a parliamentary event on 9 December with MP Fleur Anderson and Baroness Tammy Grey Tomlinson are scheduled in the coming months to discuss scaling the approach nationally.
Editors Notes
Notes to Editors
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Professor Bryony Hoskins
Professor Bryony Hoskins has a chair in Comparative Social Science at the University of Roehampton. She is a world-leading expert on how inequalities affect political socialisation and how to develop effective education interventions to address inequalities in political engagement and democracy. She has in-depth knowledge and experience in measurement, including how to assess Life Skills and Citizenship Education across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Her latest book, Education, Democracy and Inequality: Political Engagement and Citizenship Education in Europe, is published by Palgrave Macmillan.
The University of Roehampton
The University of Roehampton is a public UK university situated in Roehampton, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The university operates through a collegiate system, with four historic colleges that aim to provide a supportive community structure for students.
The university’s research is driven by making a difference to society and culture, particularly in the communities we serve. The university fosters a culture of pushing forward to innovate and make new discoveries, ensuring knowledge can be accessed and benefit as many people as possible.
G-EPIC
The G-EPIC project, funded by UKRI and the EU, was trialled earlier this year in 45 schools, delivered by 46 teachers to almost 1500 pupils across 5 countries. The international partners included: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Gender five plus (G5+), University Carlos III (UC3M), Danish School of Education (DPU), Justus-Liebig-University (JLU), and Charles University (CU).
Deprivation was measured by free school meal eligibility and English as an additional language rates above 10%, with some schools reaching 75% on both measures.
Early results from the evaluation show that the course improved students’ belief in their ability to engage with politics compared to a control group that followed the usual timetable. Early results showed that the intervention had a significant positive effect on students’ confidence in engaging politically, compared to those in standard classes.
The five lessons included;
· Lesson 1: What is politics?
· Lesson 2: How Do I Fit in Politics?
· Lesson 3: How Do I Create Change?
· Lesson 4: How Do We Create Change?
· Lesson 5: What Do We Plan to Change?
Read the full Combined National Reports here https://www.g-epic.eu/node/326