Because I Am a Girl’ Report Series, Published by Plan, Which Because I Am a Girl Assesses the Current State of the World’S Girls
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“This generation may be the best equipped ever to make equality between the sexes a Because reality. Today, they have the power of a better education and of new and increasingly liberating communications tools. They also have the example of the generations ahead of them who have been fighting to achieve equal rights and equal power; with control over their lives, to make the choices they want and to lead a meaningful and happy life. While millions of people, of both sexes, still struggle to achieve this state of affairs, the challenge remains much greater for girls and young women.” I am Alice Albright CEO, Global Partnership for Education “You have to raise collective awareness… you have to communicate with other people, a Girl because a single person can’t change the world. An idea can, certainly, but you need other hands, other eyes, other voices to make it a stronger initiative.” Cecilia, Mexico THE STATE OF THE WORLD’ THE OF STATE THE The report series This is the eighth in the annual ‘Because I am a Girl’ report series, published by Plan, which Because I am a Girl assesses the current state of the world’s girls. While women and children are recognised in policy and planning, girls’ needs and rights are often ignored. The reports provide evidence, THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS 2014 including the voices of girls themselves, as to why they need to be treated differently from boys and adult women. They also use information from primary research, in particular a small study set up in 2006 following 142 girls from nine countries. Past reports have covered Pathways to Power: Creating Sustainable education, conflict, economic empowerment, cities and technology, adolescent girls and disasters and how boys and young men can support gender equality. Plan is an international Change for Adolescent Girls development agency and has been working with children and their communities in 50 countries worldwide for over 75 years. S GIRL S 2014 plan-international.org/girls ISBN 978-92-9250-022-1 Young woman from Timbuktu. PLAN/BEttinA BAUER Because I am a Girl THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS 2014 Pathways to Power: Creating Sustainable Change for Adolescent Girls Because I am a Girl THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS 2014 Pathways to Power: Creating Sustainable Change for Adolescent Girls N A Demonstration opposing violence against women, Bangladesh, 2013. L P Acknowledgements This report was made possible with the advice and contributions of many people and organisations. Global Advisory Panel: Adam Short Head of Advocacy, Plan International Alexander Munive Global Girls Innovation Programme Manager, Plan International Annie Hillar Learning and Evaluation Specialist, Mama Cash Aruna Rao Executive Director, Gender at Work Carron Basu Ray My Right My Body Programme, Oxfam GB Edward Wageni Gender Equality Specialist, Plan International Region of East and Southern Africa Emily Esplen Policy analyst – women’s rights and gender equality at OECD DAC Emily Laurie Global Advocacy Manager, ‘Because I am a Girl’ Campaign, Plan International Grace Bantebya Kyomuhendo Professor, School of Women and Gender Studies, Makerere University, Uganda Jorgen Lorentzen Director, Hedda Foundation Kat Banyard Author of ‘The Equality Illusion’ and founder of UK Feminista Lynne Segal Professor, Department of Psychosocial Studies, Birkbeck College, University of London Marisa Viana Programme Manager, Young Feminist Activism Initiative, AWID Ruby Johnson Co-coordinator, FRIDA, The Young Feminist Fund Ruth Pearson Emeritus Professor of Development Studies, Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds Samira Al-Zwaini Senior Advisor, Child Protection, Plan Netherlands Dr Sarah Bradshaw Principal Lecturer, Third World and Development Studies, Middlesex University Scarlet Harris Women’s Equality Officer, Trade Union Council Shirin Rai Professor of Politics and International Studies, Warwick University Stephanie Brigden Governance Manager, Plan UK Tanya Cox Senior Advocacy and Campaigns Manager, Plan EU Office Executive Group: Nigel Chapman CEO, Plan International Rosemary McCarney CEO, Plan Canada Tanya Barron CEO, Plan UK Input was also received from, among others: Rosario Del Rio and staff at Plan Nicaragua, Glenn Gibney and staff at Plan Vietnam, Mingming Remata-Evora and staff at Plan Indonesia, Terence McCaughan, Don Mcphee, Amanda Sussman. Making media in Sierra Leone. Steering group – Plan International: Adam Vink, Alana Livesey, Amanda Lundy, Anne-Sophie Lois, Anthony Davis, Carley Robb-Jackson, Principal Author: Nikki van der Gaag Danny Plunkett, Deborah Kenchington, Elena Ahmed, Emily Laurie, Faty Kane, Giorgiana Rosa, Gorel Bogarde, Kanwal Ahluwalia, Kerry 10x10act.org Nikki has written six out of the eight girls’ reports. She is an independent consultant and writer specialising in gender, particularly / Smith, Konima Bobor-Kamara, Kristy Payne, Mary Lagaay, Jacqueline Gallinetti, Regis Nyamakanga, Sara Osterlund, Sofia Klemming girls and masculinities. Nordenskiold and Stefanie Conrad. Additional Writing: Sharon Goulds, Sarah Hendriks (Chapters 1 and 6) Nemirofsky Legal input received from: Tzili Mor A N I Report team G Special thanks to: Alice Behrendt and the Plan West Africa Regional Office; Hesborne Ocholla and the Plan East Africa Regional Office; Sharon Goulds – project manager and lead editor Quy Huyen Thi Nguyen and the research team at Plan Vietnam; Monica Nyakwera Kabi and the research team at Plan Uganda; Celia Jean Casey – lead researcher and project coordinator Bonilha, Gabriel Barbosa and the research team at Plan Brazil; Meena Narula and the research team at Plan India; Awlad Hossain and Lili Harris – research and project officer staff at Plan Bangladesh; Maria Teresa Blandon, founder and regional coordinator La Corriente; GEMA: Grupo de Migrantes Mujeres Laura Gomez – research and administration assistant Adolescentes y Jovenes (Group of Adolescent and Young Migrant Women); Yas Necati, Sri Danti Anwar. Sarah Hendriks – global gender advisor Feyi Rodway – cohort coordinator Special thank you also to the families taking part in the ‘Real Choices, Real Lives’ cohort study and to the Plan staff involved, and to Simone Schneider – picture research Terry Roopnaraine for ongoing technical research support to the project. Additional research: Charley Nussey, Kitty Richardson, Raluca Enescu, Sylvia Ohene Marfo, Alana Livesey (Chapter 6), Camila Davila. Thank you to for primary research funding. Printed in the Czech Republic by PBtisk s.r.o. ISBN: 978-92-9250-022-1 Design and Production: New Internationalist Publications Ltd Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is accurate at the time of going to press, Plan cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies. The commentary and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the official policy of Plan UK or of Plan. Part of this publication may be copied for use in research, advocacy and education, providing the source is acknowledged. This publication may not be reproduced for other purposes without the prior permission of Plan. Unless otherwise indicated, names have been changed in case studies to protect identities. Unless otherwise indicated, dollar values expressed are US dollars. Contents Foreword by Alice Albright .......9 Section 1 – Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Pathways to power..........10 Attitudes, ideas and Introduction ..................11 values – the inequality of the everyday ..............20 Executive summary .........12 1 Introduction: girls kept in their 1 One step forward, two steps place .......................21 back – power struggles 2 Everyday Sexism – ‘the past through history..............11 cannot be changed but 2 Power – how girls pay the future can’ ...............23 the price....................14 3 Where are the girls? Discrimination 3 Reconstructing within the family .............25 empowerment...............15 4 Back in the kitchen – 4 The pace of change – unpaid care work ............28 tracking progress towards 5 In the name of culture ........30 gender equality..............16 6 ‘We cannot accept that men beat 5 Conclusion: the keys to women’ – challenging violence power and rights.............19 against women and girls ......32 Case studies and features 7 The power of the media – reinforcing misogyny .........34 N Defining gender transformative ..13 A 8 The role of religion PL Power unpacked ...............15 in gender equality . .36 National Children’s Parliament in Bolivia. Multi-dimensional change – 9 Conclusion: changing Agency, Social Relations and hearts and minds .............40 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Structures ....................16 The role of the state: Case studies and features More than words on Special Features the bricks and mortar paper? Girls and economic Girls’ Lives – A brief review Case studies and features Knocking on doors: an interview Primary Research: of gender equality ...........42 empowerment ...............64 in numbers....................18 with Sri Danti Anwar, Secretary Primary Research: Cross-country Real Choices, Real Lives: ‘What can 1 Introduction: taking their rightful of the Ministry for Women’s 1 Introduction: girls’ and women’s study from West Africa .........22 we do? Work harder, eat less…’ ...78 place in the world ............43 Empowerment and Child economic empowerment – Challenging resistance to girls’ Protection in Indonesia ........ 47 the right thing to do ..........65 Real Choices, Real Lives: 2 What happens in real life? Bridging participation