LAUSR

ABSTRACT Within neoliberal postfeminism young women are depicted as powerful, unconstrained and ready to work for success. However, research reveals a far more complicated picture than this straightforward ode to success. We explore the intersection of racialised, classed and gendered ideals of successful femininity from the perspective of Māori (indigenous New Zealand) and Pākehā (European descent) pre-teen girls, addressing the lack of research with this age group and with indigenous girls. A poststructuralist examination of focus group data demonstrated that while much of the girls’ talk adhered to a postfeminist construction of female success, there was also an astute exploration of the structural inequalities confronting women and girls. Constructions of a gendered workforce that de-powers and undervalues women and an examination of the racialised barriers to Māori women's success unravels the postfeminist claims that success is universally available. We unpick these intricacies and what this could mean for educators.