FREE ESSAY ON THE CONCEPT OF GIRLHOOD IN THE MODERN WORLD

THE CONCEPT OF GIRLHOOD IN THE MODERN WORLD

THE GIRL-CHILD IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
The girl-child is one of, if not the most, exploitable segments of the world's
population. Children in general because of their dependence upon adults and their natural
naivete due to lack of life experience. In the context of our new global economy, child
labor issues are becoming very prevalent and their discussion very necessary. The tragedy
of the child labor issues is that the multinational corporations created within the
global economy are not able to see the damage they cause in other countries. Also, modern
corporate organization doesn't require the business leaders to view the conditions of
their employees, personally, and within the workplace. Children and women are heavily
exploited within this structure because of poverty, desperation, and survival. Girls are
at the bottom of this list. Women have the advantage of age in some instance, but girls
are sometimes left to fend for themselves because of orphanhood or a family caretaker
status. This dilemma is invisible to most people, even the occurrences within the United
States are left unknown about by those in the official class system. The girls exploited
have been paid in an economic category far below what is considered lower class or even
impoverished. This type of issue is a personal one and therefore cannot be fully
explained or understood through statistics and purely analytical data. The experience of
these girls individually is just as important as their numbers.
Some of the regions that are affected by this phenomenon are closely related to the
United States. Latin America has experienced a significant boost in exploitable labor
schemes targeted at young girls. There are factory jobs popularly named maquilas. In
these maquilas, girls from the ages of 7-18 work horrendous 16-24 hour days with short or
no breaks, unprovided health care, and no protection from the men who own or run the
factories NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was a major determinant for the
current economic crisis in Latin America. Foreign companies pay ridiculously low wages
and do almost nothing to protect their workers. Girls, and children in general, are not
allowed public education for fear it will take away from their labor. Even areas with
unions still experience exploitative labor and abject poverty. These types of work
environments also exist in significant numbers in Asia, and surprisingly America.
Multinational companies, such as Nike and Gap, use child labor, especially girl's labor,
to produce their very popular and trendy clothing. Many large businesses in he US,
Europe, and Asia seek laborers in third world countries. 
With growing multinational companies, international tourism, and global exchanges of
people and ideas, more individuals are going to foreign lands to live. People, mostly
men, are doing business in third world countries. Prostitution of girls and children is
directly related to foreign businessmen and tourism. In Asia,1992 and 1994, 160
foreigners were arrested for sexual abuse of children through prostitution. 25% were
American, 18% German, and 12% British.(Taken from Internet article ultimate abuse -
enclosed) These were not necessarily pedophiles, just people taking of advantage of the
prostitution rings that are growing into lucrative businesses because of foreign
investment. This remains invisible to those who live in the world of the perpetrators.
These problems will persist for many years to come because of the nature of huge
multi-national companies. They are able to enter areas and never see the consequences.
They do not only affect labor, but the whole community. These areas are usually already
impoverished. The factories provide jobs for the girls to supplement the family. There
are so many other systems of exploiting young girls in many countries. In parts of South
Asia, a system of bonding children out for loans is common. The debt is extended for a
long period because it is built upon by accrued expenses and unjust practices by the
debtors. Girls are used more often than boys because of their culturally inferior status,
which is common amongst many societies. This common position of inferiority makes the
girl-child more exploitable than other members of society. The global economy is
encouraging and supporting non-personal business ethics abroad.. Companies should treat
their foreign employees the same as their domestic ones. If a US or Japanese corporation
provides sanitary work conditions, and wages that will provide a sufficient living and
economic advancement for domestic employees, the same should be applied to foreign ones.
Corporate watchdogs should receive more international governmental and political
support.
The key to diminishing the exploitation of girls worldwide is to give them a voice. Girls
are many times seen as the property of their parent or family to be given away to another
family, or man, through marriage; having no individual self-identity. There are already
initiatives to give children in general, voices. They are organized, regionally and
globally. In Peru, a 15 year old girl named Patricia is heading a national child worker
movement. Other NGO's are promoting initiatives to organize and educate children. The UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international and effective watchdog for
children and girls. International education on these issues is important. People have to
be made aware of these atrocities. Pressure for the home communities of these companies
will make them aware that their actions are being watched and are important to those
outside of the exploited countries.
GLOBAL GIRLHOOD
Girlhood is a very relative term and concept. Girls in general are usually female
children before adulthood. It's this designation of adulthood for girls which draws the
border culturally. Between wealthy and poor countries, the difference is luxury. Also,
within countries, the same applies. The wealthier a person's surroundings, the more a
female can take the privilege and ease of being a girl. A girl is often treated as a
helpless person always in need of male or adult aid and intervention. I believe girlhood
is directly related to marriage and motherhood in mane cases, or either sex. Girls are
made women by men through sexual intercourse or marriage. Or, girls transfer to a type of
pseudo-womanhood through the elevation of their reproductive capacities. Menstruation is
considered the gateway, but childbirth actually catapults girls to womanhood. Girlhood
varies I in different cultural contexts. In the US, a white middle class female of 22
will still be considered a girl if not married, while her 16 year old counterpart in
India may have already had a child and fears dowry death from her in-laws. Girlhood is
also tied to personal responsibility. In contemporary times, girls are sometimes
considered more of women when they can be financially and socially independent from
parents and family. This is more prevalent in Western societies, especially among more
privileged groups. 
In the US, girlhood is praised and desired by all age groups. This want for innocence is
prevalent in the entertainment industry. Actresses look younger with every aging year.
Magazines show poses of women giving innocent and youthful glances. Starlets strive to
look youthful instead of aging gracefully. Fifty year old women on TV don't look like any
I know personally. Suzanne Summers and Cristie Brinkley don't look a day over thirty.
These re the images of womanhood in our country. Being a girl is trendy. Men seek younger
girls when trying to recapture their own youth. In the US, girlhood is viewed as
carefree, sexually experimental, and sexy. The assumption is that a girl will b taken
care of at all phases in life. This is a luxury not afforded to girls in impoverished
areas who will most likely always have t fend for themselves in some way throughout their
entire life. 
But, globally girlhood is considered precious. In some social contexts, a very romantic
idea and phase of life. Girls are a precious commodity because of their position in
society as children,. Their future reproductive contributions, and their rightful place
as fellow human beings. They should be studied and considered separately because of the
status they have been placed in as children, females, and many times impoverished by
careless adults and societies.
OPPORTUNITY AND GIRL'S DEVELOPMENT
Girls throughout the world experience different levels of freedom and social opportunity.
Western societies have given girls more freedom out of necessity and force. Western
societies gained the full benefits of the Industrial Revolution, therefore boosting
development of the societies. Once the US and European nations began to establish
themselves, they were able to have the luxury of progressive and political movements in
vast sectors of society. The women in these societies began to view the men reaping the
benefits of a total social and economic movement and wanted their share. Therefore, they
acted. Although there were and still are other social issues in these countries, women
have been able to gain economic political, and educational autonomy. Women in other
societies are moving towards this, but tradition and men's consistent power hold them
back sometimes. Because of historically established social constraints and economic
dependence upon patriarchal family structures, development has been slower in these
countries.
Many African nations are facing this issue of choice and opportunity. Choice is the key
to development in all realms of society. Gender development does not necessarily meant
that all women have to be advanced in all areas, only that women, or girls, must have the
opportunity and choices available and accessible to them. If they desire to get an
education, no obstacles should be presented. If they want to be a political, the
opportunity for it should be a reality.
In Senegal, Wolof girls are experiencing a free flow of opportunities in the urban area
of Dakar. Girls are equally present in the school systems, including the university. The
problem occurs for rural girls. With low funding ad political isolation, government
officials are not able to officially appropriate the proper resources to villages and
impoverished rural areas. Schools are not available, yet girls know they exist. Some
travel miles a day just t get primary education. Unfortunately, these girls usually have
to stop their schooling at the fifth or sixth grade level. When girls desire to do more,
they are instead assigned household and agricultural duties which consume their daily
lives. They are not given the choice. If a girl doesn't wish to pursue life beyond the
village, that is acceptable, but not all the girls are complacent or content. Many girls
are married by 16 and immediately begin having children. Senegalese school systems don't
have the facilities to provide services for girls in these predicaments. 
Bibliography
Millenium Girls.. Author unknown for now
www.amnesty.org