Updated 24 February 2026
Key takeaways:
- Some 42% of Gen Z women believe they have it better than millennials did at their age, yet 46% have experienced online harassment, 34% violence, and 28% discrimination.
- Most Gen Z women consider themselves ambitious and have sacrificed their health (39%) and friendships (19%) to pursue their goals.
- While Gen Z is interested in finding love and starting families, 59% say professional and financial success is more important, and 25% believe you can’t build a career and relationship at the same time.
- Despite their drive, 45% worry they will never be financially independent, and 42% fear they will never find a fulfilling career.
For much of history, women had little choice. Marry young. Have children. Manage the household. There was no corporate ladder to climb and no prospect of financial independence.
Thankfully, the world has worked on its misogyny, and women today can decide their own futures. However, harassment, discrimination, and inequality are all still part of the female experience, and although Gen Z women are free to be ambitious, it often comes at a steep cost – poor mental health, delayed family plans, and, for some, pressure to consider almost anything in the pursuit of financial independence.
EduBirdie surveyed 2,000 Gen Z women on what they’re striving towards, what their ideal futures look like, and how much they’re willing to put on the table to make their ambitions a reality.
More women sit in boardrooms, consent is finally taken seriously, and motherhood is no longer the expectation. Unsurprisingly, 42% of Gen Z women believe they have it better than millennial women did during early adulthood.
Life might be easier for Gen Z women, but it’s far from easy. Some 46% have experienced online harassment, 34% have faced domestic or sexual violence, and 28% have encountered discrimination at work.
Likewise, financial strain weighs on 48%, 34% are suffering from poor mental health, and 24% struggle with body image or appearance – a stark reminder that, despite progress, the world is still far from perfect for women.
Only 8% of Gen Z women face no struggles, rising to 13% among singletons. Clearly, when life is already demanding your attention, relationships can add to the pressure.
What would ease the pressure? A little male privilege, please. Some 30% of Gen Z women believe life would be much easier if they were men.
Gen Z women aren’t blind to the inequality, and they’re not willing to ignore it either.
Championing the success of women and pushing for greater equality, 42% are all for events that celebrate women’s wins. Likewise, a further 38% believe they’re important, even if they feel largely symbolic.
It might still feel like a man’s world, but Gen Z women aren’t letting that stop them. Some 45% describe themselves as very ambitious and 43% somewhat ambitious, summing up Gen Z female characteristics: driven, resilient, and unwilling to settle for anything less than they deserve.
However, for 59% of determined young women, chasing success required sacrifice: 39% say their mental or physical health has taken a hit, 25% have struggled to maintain their appearance, and 19% say they’ve lost friendships along the way.
Prioritizing ambition at all costs, it’s no wonder that among Gen Z women, loneliness is a growing concern.
What percentage of Gen Z women are single? 47%. But when the right person comes along, most choose to make it official. While Gen Z relationships are diverse, with 12% dating casually and 2% in situationships, 39% stick to traditional relationships.
While 23% want success and independence, and 13% would love the trophy-wife lifestyle, most aren’t chasing fame, fortune, or a free ride. For 47%, the dream is far simpler: a loving marriage, a stable job, and a home full of kids.
Some 28% of Gen Z women are already knee-deep in diapers and loving motherhood, while another 38% say children are part of their plans, rising to 50% among casual daters. However, 13% have ruled having children off of their life goals, and 17% are still undecided.
For many, it’s not that they don’t want kids. It’s that their other goals are higher on the priority list. In fact, 11% have already frozen or plan to freeze their eggs to make parenthood work around their career, and another 20% say they would if their finances allowed.
For much of Gen Z, dating just isn’t possible, given they’re fully committed to the grind.
The glass ceiling may have risen a few floors. However, discrimination still shows in pay gaps and promotion disparities, forcing women to work harder for their success – and convincing 25% that you can’t climb the career ladder and build a loving relationship at the same time.
While finding love may be among their goals, for Gen Z women, career comes first. In fact, 59% say achieving professional and financial success is more important to them than finding a partner and starting a family.
That’s clear from Gen Z’s dating habits, with ambition and casual relationships often going hand in hand. Among those who are casually dating, 98% describe themselves as ambitious, compared to an average of 88%. Clearly, flexible relationships allow for a focused mindset.
Gen Z women are working hard, but for many, their goals still feel so out of reach. Some 45% worry they will never be financially independent, while 42% fear they will never find a fulfilling career.
Yet, the data shows that most Gen Z women are already financially independent, with just 8% saying they rely on others to get by.
But many are determined to secure a bigger bag, and they’ll do almost anything to get it. Almost anything. While the hustle is real, Gen Z has its boundaries: 46% say sugar dating, OnlyFans, and paid arrangements are off-limits; and 33% would never call on family or friends for financial help during a tough moment.
Gen Z women may not agree on what they want from life – riches, fame, an easy life, or a house full of little ones – but what they share is the drive and determination to get what they want, and they aren’t going to let anyone tell them whether they’re allowed it.
