Girls Speak: A New Voice in Global Development

Advocacy Materials
ICRW
2009
84 p.

Girls Speak: A New Voice in Global Development is part of a series of reports on investing in adolescent girls in the developing world. This report examines qualitative data on what girls say about their aspirations across different settings and contexts. From a girl's perspective, policies and programs need to address the harmful social norms that constrain her role and opportunities in society, and provide a greater vision for her life. In their own words, girls are saying that the context and environment that shapes their lives - how they live and what they aspire to - must be addressed. Adolescent girls say that their families and communities are deeply involved in all aspects of their lives, often in ways that constrain decision-making and limit options. This report offers a girl-generated set of ideas. Learning about girls' aspirations reinforces what is already known about the overwhelming odds that girls face in achieving what they want. Girls' voices provide moral authority to the policies and programs targeted to girls. Their voices should shape a global agenda that increases their visibility and leads to their greater and more equitable participation in economic and social development.

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