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Background Paper for the 5th UNICEF-GPIA International Conference - Adolescent Girls, Cornerstone of Society: Building Evidence and Policies for Inclusive Societies |
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The 5th International UNICEF-GPIA conference makes a bold assertion: that adolescent girls, who are navigating the second decade of their lives, are the cornerstone of society. It is an assertion that has gained considerable momentum in the past year. International organizations are recognizing that whereas development policies have failed girls in the past, inequality is not an intractable problem. Rather, global partnerships and targeted investment in the developing world’s 600 million girls can lift them out of poverty and protect their rights – and in so doing can meet the Millennium Development Goals.
As evolving young women who already significantly contribute to their families, and as future adults who will contribute to their communities, adolescent girls are now recognized as having a strategic role to play in promoting social justice and building inclusive societies.
How, then, have adolescent girls been represented in development literature? The World Health Organization (2008) defines adolescents as aged 10 to 19 years, an age span that overlaps with UN definitions of children (0 to 18 years) and youth (15 to 24 years). As will be discussed, adolescence itself includes several stages of physical, emotional, social and cognitive development which differ for each child and according to each expert. (UNAIDS 2004; UNFPA et al. 2006) It also differs by gender.
In terms of development programming and policies, however, girls’ adolescence is usually defined in terms of sexual and reproductive health. With the exception of literature produced in the past year, the bulk of the literature focusing specifically on adolescent girls during this decade is concerned with issues such as early marriage, early pregnancy, female genital cutting, HIV/AIDS, sex trafficking, child prostitution, and sexual exploitation. Adolescent girls’ rights, such as the right to education, are often linked back to sexual and reproductive health, such as the argument that educated girls are more likely to have smaller families and safer sex. Without question, each of these issues is critical. Yet the lives and experiences of adolescent girls encompass so much more. |
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 2 Comments of Background Paper for the 5th UNICEF-GPIA International Conference - Adolescent Girls, Cornerstone of Society: Building Evidence and Policies for Inclusive Societies |
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 On 04-17-2010 Mumita Tanjeela Wrote:
The background paper is itself rich enough regarding data, information and analysis.It will help to rethink policy makers and deelopment partners natioally, rgionally as well as internationally.However the trafficking issue of adolescent girls could be come here as a another issue of concern for LDC. |
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On 01-13-2010 Lovely Sie Wrote:
Thanks for the background to an important conference.However, is itpossible to discuss protection concerns relating to adolescent girls who became mothers as a result of their affliliation with fighting forces. Taking into consideration reintegration and what policies could be design to support them.
Liberia |
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