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Beyond ‘victims’ and ‘heroines’: Constructing ‘girlhood’ in international development

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  • Mary Cobbett

    (Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK)

Abstract

Girls are receiving increasing attention from international development actors. However, this attention has been insufficiently analyzed within development studies. Therefore, this article aims to reflect on the emergence of girls as a focus of concern. The instrumentalist benefits of girls’ schooling and awareness of the disproportionally high rates of HIV infection amongst adolescent girls stand out as two major reasons why development actors have focused on girls. Whilst these constitute worthy issues, analysis of the construction of girlhood suggests that problematic depictions of girls as either ‘victims’ or ‘heroines’ are pervasive and prevent the understanding of the complexities of girls’ lives.

Suggested Citation

  • Mary Cobbett, 2014. "Beyond ‘victims’ and ‘heroines’: Constructing ‘girlhood’ in international development," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 14(4), pages 309-320, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:prodev:v:14:y:2014:i:4:p:309-320
    DOI: 10.1177/1464993414521523
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Chaaban, Jad & Cunningham, Wendy, 2011. "Measuring the economic gain of investing in girls : the girl effect dividend," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5753, The World Bank.
    5. Jewkes, R. & Morrell, R., 2012. "Sexuality and the limits of agency among South African teenage women: Theorising femininities and their connections to HIV risk practises," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(11), pages 1729-1737.
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