The Future is Now
“The Next Generation of Girls”—that’s the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day. When I first heard it, I had already been toying with an idea for this column: interviewing my 15-year-old daughter and her friends about their vision of the world in 2050.
By then, they’ll be adults—perhaps mothers themselves—raising daughters in a time that, ideally, is more equal than today.
So, when I saw the official theme, I knew I had to ask them: What do you hope the future holds for girls?
Their answers struck me. They weren’t just dreams for tomorrow; they were reminders of why this day still matters.
Equality, First and Foremost
“By 2050, I really hope girls and boys are finally equal,” says Sofja, 15. My daughter Giselle, also 15, nods in agreement. It’s clear that, even now, they see the gap between genders—and they expect better.
Rosa, 16, takes it a step further: “I hope that girls of color will have the same rights as white girls. Right now, being both a girl and a girl of color is a double disadvantage. You have to prove yourself twice as hard.”
Dinyah, 15, hopes that her daughter will grow up in a peaceful world where men and women are equal, and where women are not seen as the weaker sex. She dreams of a world without discrimination, where her daughter can simply be herself. Milou, also 15, agrees: “My daughter should feel free to be whoever she wants to be and not be judged for it.”
Giselle hopes that if her daughter rises to a leadership position, her competence won’t be questioned simply because she’s a woman.
“And if new laws are made about women’s rights—like abortion—then only women should have a say in them,” she adds.
Safety is key
I never thought about how important safety was. But most of the girls really hope that their daughters can walk freely at night without being harrassed.
Milou says, “I want my daughter to feel safe traveling at night on public transportation and not be afraid of men or boys sitting next to her.” This highlights that equality also means respecting women and girls as individuals, not as prey or sex symbols.
Still Fighting for the Basics
Hearing them speak, I realize how little has changed. The fundamental rights these girls long for—equal pay, respect, safety—are the same things my generation, and those before me, have fought for. Will we still be having this conversation in 25 years? Or will their daughters finally live in a world where these things are a given?
I can only hope.
As Rosa puts it, “I hope that by 2050, all girls feel free to think, speak, do, and be—without being suppressed or denied.”
It’s a simple wish. And yet, in 2025, it’s still revolutionary.
