A new documentary, Stolen Daughters: Kidnapped by Boko Haram, follows the lives of the 276 Nigerian schoolgirls who had been kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014. The film also features interviews with girls who had been previously taken from their homes by the same group.
As a peer educator at Sex Education by Theatre (SExT), a youth-led, theater-based sex education program, I have a place to express my thoughts and frustrations about the precautions my friends and I take when we go out.
We often think of girls at these ages as the “future,” but doing so denies girls the opportunity to meaningfully discuss their current experiences. Girls are very much a part of the present; they are changing the world right now.
The Safe Schools for Girls Project, created by Care International, takes place in 174 Rwandan schools after regular classes end and aims to address issues related to gender-based violence through education.
Girls marrying before the age of 18 are more likely not to finish their education, putting them at the risk of financial dependency.
Popular but vicious characters like Regina George in Mean Girls, the spoiled but well-meaning protagonist Cher Horowitz in Clueless, and ambitious, cunning Blair Waldorf (Queen B of the Upper East Side) in Gossip Girl are all as beautiful, wealthy, self-centered, and ambitious as they come. There’s also another trait they all share, however, a trait that seems to be a key element of the “popular girl” trope: signs of have an eating disorder.
As I have gotten older, I have come to realize what a unique privilege it is to engage in outdoor activities that are often only available to affluent white people and, more specifically, wealthy white men.
Sexist dress codes are yet another way our society sexualizes young women and tells them that they need to modify their bodies to prevent other people's discomfort.
While it is great that Brown’s case has been spotlighted, it is also important to realize that her story is symptomatic of a larger issue: the criminalization of child sex trafficking victims.
As with other sport, there are several “official” competitions sanctioned by licensed organizations for college rugby. But there are also unofficial matches—our “friendlies,” our festivals. During these events, teams gather for weekends full of rugby matches, drinking, bruises, wearing over-the-top costumes, and even more rugby. Nothing says “fun” to these people quite like slamming into each other full force while a little buzzed and wearing a tutu.
I was in seventh grade, a twelve-year-old pudgy, buck-toothed, frizzy-haired, acne-prone girl totally oblivious to my supposed physical flaws and shortcomings. I lived in my own sheltered bubble. I went to school, did homework when I got back home, and then played in the backyard with our neighbor’s kid. I went to the library with my mother a lot. Perhaps most informatively, though, I lacked exposure to most media. I watched TV only once a week and seldom watched movies (except for the occasional viewing of Dumbo). This fostered a sense of cluelessness about societal expectations of beauty.
Our society very clearly communicates that pretty is everything. Pretty is skipping breakfast. Pretty is counting calories. Pretty is losing weight (and not gaining it back). Pretty is being told by friends that “you look so skinny.”
