A flurry of life-changing events pulls her in
many directions. Where she ends up depends
on the support she receives and the power she
has to shape her own future.
In some parts of the world, a 10-year-old girl,
on the verge of adolescence, sees limitless
possibilities ahead and begins making choices
that will influence her education and, later, her
work and her life.
But in other parts of the world, a 10-year-old
girl’s horizons are limited. As she reaches
puberty, a formidable combination of relatives,
figures in her community, social and cultural
norms, institutions and discriminatory laws
block her path forward.
By age 10, she may be forced to marry. She
may be pulled out of school to begin a lifetime
of childbearing and servitude to her husband.
At 10, she may become property, a commodity
that can be bought and sold.