Nonbinary uniforms, safer roads and free menstrual products: Girls explain how leaders can improve their lives
Assembly readers from 20 countries share their ideas on how governments can better support girls.
Last month, we asked Assembly readers to tell us what you would ask your country’s president or prime minister to do to improve life for girls in your community. From criminalising child marriage to increasing coverage of women’s sports, you shared with us the changes you want to see leaders make.
We rounded up a few of our favourite ideas on how governments can better support girls:
“Distribute education, security, self-defense training and skills development programmes equally and proportionally throughout the nation. I belong to a very backward village where girls of my age are deprived of education; instead of sending daughters to school, families begin to save a single penny for dowry. But our government policies are capital city-oriented so they don’t reach villages like mine. Also, I want the government to ensure the implementation of free sanitary pad vending machines in each nook and corner of Nepal so that girls can enjoy menstruation-friendly education. Let's end the chhaupadi pratha [the practice of forcing menstruating girls and women into seclusion]!”
— Anjana, 18, Nepal
“Change school uniforms from binary to nonbinary ones. This could improve girls’ participation in sport activities because before they were obligated to use a skirt as school uniform.”
— Florencia, 21, Chile
“Provide funds for free sanitary towels for girls to ensure girls are always present in school. The perpetrators who marry school-going girls should face the law. Because girls are walking long distances to school, they should also set up schools in every community.”
— Akinyi Brenda, 22, Kenya
“Pay more attention to women’s sports. I would ask for more coverage and analysis of women’s games, just like there is for men’s.”
— Eva, 14, Ireland
“Ensure every woman can leave her child in a nursery, since it is still very hard to find one that is not too expensive. Free nurseries would allow young mothers to keep studying and still follow the career they choose, while giving an incentive for the birth rate to go up since it has been decreasing in the past decades! This would also allow their daughters to see that women can still achieve whatever they want. It would also help women to be more independent and to be able to choose the best option for herself and her child — for example, being in a financial position to leave an abusive husband or partner. Hopefully this would ensure women not to have to choose between family and the career of their dreams.”
— Marta, 20, Portugal
“Make a policy that will criminalise child marriage until girls are of age to decide when they want to get married and who they want to be married to. That same policy must prioritize girls' education. Girls’ education must be free until tertiary level. Girls must be taught skills that can be used to generate income right from their third year in school. This will be able to cover their tertiary institution fee. Any parent or guardian found not sending their daughter to school will bear the brunt of his or her actions.”
— Temilolaoluwa, 17, Nigeria
“Organise free-of-charge team sports classes for girls in local centres of physical activity. One of the problems I recognise among girls in my community is being discouraged from participating in sports, especially in the same teams as boys. Women’s national teams are not as supported and even during physical education classes in schools, girls are continuously discriminated against on the grounds of being ‘weaker.’ My own example and observation of my peers taught me that this presupposition is utterly false! Furthermore, sports teaches girls important skills, such as cooperation, consensus and leadership. Therefore, in order to empower girls and support their full potential, both as future Olympic champions or CEOs, my government should promote girls’ development in sports, for example by organising active campaigning in schools or national championships.”
— Natalia, 18, Poland
“Improve reproductive health in my community, such as better reproductive health education that includes information about consent and the LGBTQIAP+ community. I would also like him to legalize free and safe abortions, as well as legalizing home births.”
— Tcherari Nu, 16, Bermuda
“Understand the intersectionality of the issues that girls and young women face in Australia, specifically newly arrived migrant girls and young women who face not only language barriers but also cultural barriers too. As a Syrian migrant who fled the war in 2012, I understand the difficulties of migration as I have faced them myself, so I would love to shine light on these issues for young women and girls in Australia.”
— Maya, 19, Australia
“To change the bus routes. Most of the bus stations are far away from our homes and at nights we are afraid to take the bus. Also, roads must have more lights, there aren't lights right now.”
— Stella, 20, Greece
“Start a campaign for girls to get more involved in politics. In our country girls can have education and have a job later and sometimes earn more than men. But the government has more men than women and there has never been a female president. Girls are afraid to get involved in politics because the community will laugh at them or say it is not our job.”
— Hanna, 21, The Netherlands
“Improve girls' safety. I would ask them to ensure a safe Bangladesh for girls. Then comes girls' education. It comes right after girls' safety. Because if girls are safe, they can continue their studies. So many girls are harassed in their schools. So they are afraid to continue their school. That's why I would ask for girls' safety first!”
— Sharia, 19, Bangladesh
“1. Raise the legal age of marriage from 18 to 21 in order to ensure every girl can achieve her university degree.
2. Establish more girls’ schools in low-income communities to empower and nourish children.
3. Launch girl-friendly interactive sessions at schools to discuss the issues of children and to give girls advice.
4. Ensure clean toilets in streets.”
— Niranjana, 20, India
“Stop the femicides (the murder of girls or women because of their gender) because there are over 10 a day right now. I want justice and security for every girl and woman.”
— Lydia, 15, Mexico
“Firstly, ensure the education of every girl because there are millions of girls who are out of school right now in Pakistan.
Secondly, ensure the safety and security of girls so that their families allow them to do different jobs and girls can pursue any profession without fear.
Thirdly, give proper health facilities to all girls in Pakistan because girls face many health issues such as menstrual hygiene issues and breast cancer and due to early marriages, many girls die while giving birth to children.
And last but not least, give opportunities to girls to play sports at both national and international levels. Although many girls in Pakistan play sports and win prizes at national and international levels, they face many hurdles in their way.”
— Nida, 20, Pakistan
“Improve the enforcement of the law preventing violence against girls. There is a law but no action. It's like there is a theory but it's not in practice. Stop using girls' rights for political agendas and help girls and protect their rights.”
— Edlawit, 22, Ethiopia
“Coming from a low-income household and a minority group, from a young age no one really encouraged me to pursue higher education or be an active member of the community, except for a small group of teachers and individuals from clubs and libraries. So, I would ask them to implement more community groups that focus on the importance of education, business ideas and future career opportunities for girls. I would also encourage them to help community groups provide small startup loans to help facilitate any young minds’ ideas and help break the poverty cycle of women.”
— Amana, 21, U.K.
“In South Africa many women are not financially independent because of archaic gender roles they are forced to stay at home. I believe this increases the severity of gender-based violence as many women are forced to rely on men to provide for their needs. That is why I think South Africa needs to ensure all girls are going to school — whether their parents like it or not — so they have the skills to become financially independent in the future.”
— Collins Juju, 18, South Africa
“Provide more job opportunities for women, especially jobs that involve decision-making processes in our government, companies, etc. Malaysia has a very patriarchal society which sometimes inhibits young girls and women from having opportunities to be successful in life. If we had more women in higher position jobs or more women in our male-dominated workforce, we would have our voices heard and our problems addressed. Allowing more women to participate in decision-making processes would significantly improve the lives of Malaysian girls and women of all ages.”
— Soraya, 19, Malaysia
“Create more scholarships and funding projects for girls. I feel like there are a lot of girls with a lot of potential, but due to their economic situation they cannot afford access to university. I would also ask to work towards a future with more women in science. Many within the science and engineering field have to leave our country because they do not find good opportunities after they graduate. This is something that leads to discouragement and low hope for girls, who are already affected by gender discrimination within these fields.”
— Hafsa, 18, Spain
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