“How much do you know about girls?” is the title of a quiz that National Public Radio published online a couple of days ago. The quiz is only seven questions and comes from a special series that NPR is doing called #15Girls. The series takes the listener from El Salvador to India; from the soccer field to a school for child brides. It is an eye-opening look into the lives of girls around the world.
Here are some other things I’ve learned through the series:
- Worldwide, there are 600 million girls between the ages of 10-19.
- Nearly half of those live in 7 countries.
- The United States has a lower percentage of women in Congress than Pakistan and China do in their national assemblies.
- One fifth of the world’s adolescent girls live in India.
There is so much more. The story on the school for child brides in India gives a perspective that most in the Western world have never heard. The story of how a girl’s choice in El Salvador means life or death. There are stories on soccer, education, marriage, and cool girls. To make it easy, just click on the pictures and the link will take you directly to the site.
It’s not all sad. These girls are strong and resilient, and they want to change things for other girls. Take a listen and weigh in on what you think through the comments.
See the entire series here: #15GirlsSeries and click here to take the quiz.
Marilyn R. Gardner 
Hi Marilyn, is this part of the international Girls Not Brides Campaign? We just made a short documentary about Child Marriage that shows a strong girl of 14 who wants to tell her story – you can watch it here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq_yxSyL1ZE
Enjoy! Annelies
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Thank you! I don’t think it is, but could look closer. So glad you linked this. I was just reading this article on child marriage in the United States. http://nyti.ms/1VPHF8d
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I took the quiz and failed (57%); 2 of the ones I answered correctly were from your essay. Sad and heartwarming both
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I grew up with that old nursery rhyme mentioned in your caption: “What are little girls made of, made of? What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice and everything nice; that’s what little girls are made of. Made of.” Perhaps a grain of truth. However, around the world our little girls are made of so much more: toughness, resilience, reliance, brilliance, heart, and on and on. Add a pinch of that sugar and spice and you’ve got a population of indescribable power. In the south we females are called “Steel Magnolias” for a very good reason.
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I’ve been following the series through NPR and it’s very interesting, thought-provoking, sad and hopeful. Millions of 15 year-olds, each one unique and special.
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