A teenager who set up a charity to tackle forced marriage says it is “disappointing but not surprising” that more girls than boys expect to experience discrimination in the workplace.

Arifa Nasim, of Marlowe Road, Walthamstow, says education at home and in the classroom is needed to change the dismal outlooks of young women.

Recent statistics reveal 41% of females aged between 13 and 22 believe their gender will hold them back in the workplace.

The results, release by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), also revealed just 4% of boys believe their careers will suffer because of their gender.

Ms Nasim, 19, said: “I think the results are disappointing but not surprising because we know that we are living in an era of inequality.

“There is this perception that if a boy is speaking up he is certain of himself but if a girl does she is seen as bossy.

“It starts in the classroom and parents also have an important role to play because children emulate what they see their parents doing.

“It might be that the mother is a housewife which is fine but the daughter needs to know that she can be anything when she grows up, a scientist, a doctor, whatever she wants.

“The media also plays a massive role and how they present women shapes the minds of young girls.”

In contrast to almost half of girls and young women surveyed who believe their gender would count against them in the workplace, 20% of young men said they expect to earn more than women.

But 43% of women in the poll believe having a female Prime Minister will encourage gender diversity at work.

Ms Nasim, who founded Educate2Eradicate to tackle forced marriage and female genital mutilation, believes educating boys and girls separately reduces pressure on girls.

She said: “I find that educating young boys and girls separately is a good thing because there is no pressure on the girls to look dumb in front of the boys.

“In my sixth form, girls were taught separately and encouraged to study sciences, and the boys were encouraged to study art.

“It worked well because it still allowed the students to form relationships at lunch breaks.”

The statistics show the industries with the lowest expectations for females are property and construction, with 29% of women saying they were for men only.

More positive attitudes were reported for the retail and health industries.