'Finding their voice': exploring female adolescents' perspectives and experiences of a youth leadership programme.

This article examines the leadership perspectives and experiences of eight young women aged 14–16 who participated in the Western Bulldogs Youth Leadership Project (WBYLP), a community-based leadership programme in Australia. It highlights how gender socialization and implicit leadership stereotypes influence young women’s confidence and willingness to identify as leaders, despite possessing leadership skills. Participants described leadership as collaborative and supportive but often aligned with traditional feminine traits, leading many to see themselves as "quiet leaders" who hold back due to self-doubt and fear of social consequences. The study suggests that youth leadership programmes can foster skill development but need to explicitly address gender biases, provide diverse female role models, and create opportunities for young women to exercise agency to better support their leadership identity and development.