Girls' Rights in the 21st Century

Girls have the right:

• To be themselves and to resist gender stereotypes
• To express themselves with originality and enthusiasm
• To take risks, to strive freely, and to take pride in success
• To accept and appreciate their bodies
• To have confidence in themselves and to be safe in the world
• To prepare for interesting work and economic independence

In Taking the Lead: Girls Rights in the 21st Century, a nationally representative survey about girls' rights, girls have told us that they want this world for themselves. Our national organization asked 2,000 boys and girls in grades three through 12 to tell them what rights girls have and do not have and how those rights shape girls' lives today and their hopes for the future.

While today's girls are confident in their abilities and ambitious in their goals, they are frustrated by outmoded stereotypes that place roadblocks in their paths. They feel pressured to conform to narrow and often conflicting expectations in all aspects of their lives.

Importantly, girls experiencing these gender barriers have a lower quality of life and less confidence in their futures. For these girls, exercising their rights is not a philosophical issue but rather an opportunity to make concrete improvements in their lives at school, at home, and in their communities.

Girls have told us that they are ready to seize this opportunity. Through the data in this report and in their own words, they have said that they recognize and resist the stereotypes. In fact, as girls grow older, they see the limitations imposed on them more clearly and object more strenuously. One twelfth-grader spoke for many when she said, "Girls have never been less than boys. It would be nice if people could just understand that girls can do the same things boys can."

At Girls Inc., we are helping girls learn their rights and open doors to a more equitable society. It is a cause we have championed for over fifty years. Through the Girls Inc. "Girls' Rights Campaign", we are reaching out to millions of girls across America and to the millions of adults who care about them. Our goal is to help every girl understand, value, and gain access to her rights. A national advertising campaign will dramatize the importance of girls' rights. Through the vast reach of the Internet, we will ask girls across the country what kinds of support they need to achieve their rights. And we will use their answers to inform the parents, teachers, family members and friends who want to help girls achieve their fullest potential.