Gender Studies

The State of the World’s Girls 2011 - So, what about boys?' is the fifth in a series of annual reports published by Plan examining the rights of girls throughout their childhood, adolescence and as young women.

The report shows that far from being an issue just for women and girls, gender is also about boys and men, and that this needs to be better understood if we are going to have a positive impact on societies and economies.

Drawing on research and case studies, the report argues that working for equality must involve men and boys both as holders of power and as a group that is also suffering the consequences of negative gender stereotypes.

It also makes recommendations for action, showing policy makers and planners what can make a real difference to girls’ lives all over the world.

Download summary pdf: English

Download youth summary pdf: English

Download pdf: English

About PLAN:

Founded over 70 years ago, Plan is one of the oldest and largest children's development organisations in the world. We work in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty.

Plan works with nearly 38,000 communities each year, covering a population of 28,200,000 children.

Plan is independent, with no religious, political or governmental affiliations.

Because I am a Girl: The State of the World's Girls 2010 - Digital and Urban Frontiers is the fourth in a series of annual reports published by Plan examining the rights of girls throughout their childhood, adolescence and as young women.

Focusing on two of the 21st century's fastest growing areas - the boom in city populations and the explosion of IT and communication technology, the report looks at the prospects and perils facing girls.

While there are great opportunities, prejudice and poverty is excluding millions of girls from taking advantages of the possibilities on offer.

Urban poverty, lack of proper housing and sexual harassment can make many girls feel unsafe. Cyberspace can also be hazardous - a hunting ground for traffickers and bullies.

The report argues that girls need to be able to gain the skills to protect themselves and to recognise both the threats and the opportunities that await them on the city streets and online.

• Download summary pdf : English | French | Spanish (484 kb, 6 pages)
• Download pdf : English | French (6.9 mb, 199 pages)

We model the consequences of parental control over choice of wives for sons, for parental incentives to educate daughters, when the marriage market exhibits competitive dowry payments and altruistic but paternalistic parents benefit from having married sons live with them. By choosing uneducated brides, some parents can prevent costly household partition. Paternalistic self-interest consequently generates low levels of female schooling in the steady state equilibrium. State payments to parents for educating daughters fail to raise female schooling levels. Policies (such as housing subsidies) that promote nuclear families, interventions against early marriages, and state support to couples who marry against parental wishes, are however all likely to improve female schooling. We offer evidence from India consistent with our theoretical analysis.

+ Full Paper (PDF; 143 KB)

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A new report Giving Girls Today and Tomorrow: Breaking the cycle of the adolescent pregnancy (pdf, 3.08 MB) was published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on the issue of adolescent pregnancy among married and unmarried girls. According to the report, the early pregnancy is number one killer of adolescent girls. The report claims that the social, economic and health consequences of the adolescent pregnancy are far-reaching and affect the girls, their families and the society.
Related: The Unmapped Journey: Adolescents, Poverty and Gender (Chapter 5) of the State of World Population 2005.

From UN Pulse 

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Iraq & Afghanistan: Women's Rights

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