Hi and welcome đ
This is the first edition of RISE by The Female Lead, our brand new newsletter for teachers and educators, mentors, parents and guardians of the next generation.
Think of it as your fortnightly ready-to-use resources, ideas and inspiration coming straight to your inbox to spark classroom discussions, share influential role models and help young people grow with confidence, curiosity and equality at their core.
In this issue youâll find:
đ A welcome from Holly, Head of Data and Education at The Female Lead on why weâre focused on supporting the next generation.
đ Essential feminist reads for curious teens, from funny, peer-like essays to timeless classics.
đ Must-read news covering the key stories to shape young futures today.
Why subscribe to RISE by The Female Lead
The Female Lead is a charity empowering young people through stories and science.
Since 2015, weâve reached 2.5 million students in 25,000 schools with free teaching resources and built a community of nearly 9 million supporters worldwide.
RISE is here to support you - whether youâre planning RSHE (England), RSHP (Scotland), or RSE (Northern Ireland and Wales) lessons or keen to find ways to talk to your teens at home. Each issue, weâll dive into the topics that matter the most: from healthy relationships and money confidence to tackling sexism in school.
RISE can be used as your RSHE/RSHP/RSE toolkit with quick subject ideas, and ready-to-use activities. And for those in England, it will support you as you prepare for the new RSHE curriculum becoming statutory in 2026.
From sexism and misogyny to online safety, consent, mental health and financial wellbeing, RISE will help you meet educational requirements while inspiring the teens to see possibility, not limits.
Introduction to RISE by The Female Lead
Hello! Iâm Holly, Head of Data and Education at The Female Lead. Our mission is simple but powerful: to help every girl feel empowered to take the lead in her own life.
After a decade of working with data and real-world stories, Iâve seen how often women and girls are undersupported and underestimated, and itâs why Iâm so passionate about what I do. Through my work with The Female Lead, I get to turn insight into action: creating activities, events and conversations that help young people see that their voice, values and visions for the future truly matter.
Over the past two years, Iâve worked closely with schools and students across the UK to develop our new digital programme, RISE - testing activities, gathering feedback and learning directly from young people themselves.
This newsletter is our space to share that journey with you: the teachers, parents, carers and mentors shaping the next generation. In future editions youâll find:
Quick, easy-to-use classroom and at-home resources covering everything from careers and money to relationships and role models; tested by teachers and supported by students.
Invites to exclusive opportunities and events designed to spark ambition and self-belief; from red carpet premieres to work experience programmes.
Fresh insights from our data and research, bringing the real world into the classroom so that girls understand the barriers that exist, and have the tools to overcome them.
Our hope is that something here sparks a conversation or moment of inspiration that changes the way a young person sees themselves, because:
âWhen you see clearly, you believe differently. And when you believe differently, you act differently. Thatâs where real change begins.â
Iâm so glad youâre on this journey with us,
Holly
đ Essential Feminist Reads for Curious Teens (and grown ups!)
Looking for books that spark big conversations (without feeling like homework)? Here are five favourites to slip into a school library, classroom shelf or gift bag.
Feminists Donât Wear Pink (and Other Lies) â Scarlett Curtis
A punchy mix of essays from brilliant women. Funny, honest and as easy to dip into as a group chat.
Girl Up â Laura Bates
Laugh-out-loud funny, this guide by Laura Bates, friend of The Female Lead, takes on sexism, double standards and everything teen girls face with no sugar-coating.
This Book Is Feminist â Jamia Wilson
Bright, visual and inclusive, this one feels like a handbook for navigating identity and power for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Intersectional and teen-friendly.
Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible (Teen Edition) â Yomi Adegoke & Elizabeth UviebinenĂ©
Empowering and specific to Black girlsâ experiences, essential reading for everyone wanting to understand intersectionality and representation.
We Should All Be Feminists â Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Short, sharp and classic. Based on Chimamandaâs viral TED Talk, itâs the perfect gateway read for any age.
We Rise By Lifting Others - The Female Lead
The stories of 67 remarkable women from diverse backgrounds and with different life experiences, interviewed exclusively for this collection. All show the incredible strength, talent, ingenuity, resilience, and bravery that women possess.
Pop a copy in the school library, recommend to a student, or read together at home - every story is a conversation-starter.
Join the conversation
Explore The Female Lead Substack â for more stories and science empowering women of all ages
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If you love what we do, consider becoming a paid supporter (ÂŁ3.50/month or ÂŁ25/year). Your support keeps resources free for schools and funds new research.
Thanks for reading - and for helping us equip the next generation to lead with confidence.
đ The Female Lead Team
HI Holly! Congrats -- so excited to see this in my roll up going forward! Are you looking for contributors? Would love to collab on the importance of community!