CEREDIGION is the third best place to be a girl in Wales, according to a children’s charity.

A major new report published by global children’s charity Plan International UK ranks for the first time the best and worst areas to be a girl in Wales.

The landmark research uses five key indicators to produce a league table of local authorities across the country, with Merthyr Tydfil rated the worst and Monmouthshire the best.

The State of Girls’ Rights in the UK ranks areas according to child poverty, female life expectancy, teenage pregnancy, girls’ GCSE results and the numbers of girls Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEETs).

Following Monmouthshire, the best authorities to grow up as a girl were Powys (2nd), Ceredigion (3rd), Vale of Glamorgan (4th) and Gwynedd (5th).

However, research shows a divided picture across Wales, with Merthyr Tydfil performing much worse, followed by Cardiff (2nd worst), Caerphilly (3rd worst), Bridgend (4th worst) and Rhondda, Cynon and Taff (5th worst) to make up the ‘bottom five.’

“While there is a mixed picture across the country, it’s clear that many girls in Wales are experiencing real challenges in terms of their education and health,” says Plan International UK head of girls’ rights, Kerry Smith.

“And despite living in one of the most developed countries on earth, too many girls in Wales don’t enjoy their rights.”

Plan International UK launches the report as part of its flagship Because I am a Girl campaign to tackle gender inequality.

The charity is calling for a six-point action plan to progress girls’ rights across the UK – and Girls’ Rights Champions to be appointed at national, devolved and local levels.

“The picture in the Wales is replicating what we are seeing across the UK, with stark variations between different authorities,” says Smith. “Even within Wales, our study shows that a girl’s life chances are strongly tied to where she lives.”