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> Where Are the Girls executive summary
> Where Are the Girls full report
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT:
Britt Wahlin, 617-549-2852
Katie Wheeler, 617-536-8543
Girls’ Coalition of Greater Boston
Coalition Releases Report on State of Girls’ Programming in Greater Boston
Report documents alarming statistics on rise of delinquency, prostitution, and violence among girls
Boston, January 31, 2006 –The Girls’ Coalition of Greater Boston, an organization providing resources and development opportunities for the adults who empower girls, has released a first-of-its-kind document. Where Are the Girls? is a yearlong quantitative and qualitative analysis of the state of girls’ programming in Greater Boston. The alarming statistics cited in the report reveal that in Massachusetts, female delinquency has doubled over the last decade; that there were twelve times as many cases of teen prostitution in 2005 as in all of 2003; and that girls are increasingly violent with each other in and out of school.
Where Are the Girls? provides compelling evidence supporting the uniqueness of girls’ emotional and educational development, as well as the political and social consequences of ignoring their needs. It documents that girls’ in the Greater Boston area are woefully underserved by current programs. For example, participants in after-school programs are overwhelmingly male, severely shortchanging the leadership potential and social development of thousands of girls. The report further reveals that only 6 percent of philanthropic dollars allotted to youth programs are targeted at single-sex girls’ programming. With an increasing number of girls at risk for entering the juvenile system, the need for vigor in research, policy, funding, and programming aimed at girls is critical.
"This report underscores what Coalition members know from experience about the state of girls today. They are experiencing a very challenging and complex life that includes sexism, racism, homophobia, negative body image concerns, depression, and increasing violence against and among girls," says Kathryn A. Wheeler, executive director of the Girls’ Coalition of Greater Boston. "With the help of policymakers, funders, leaders of youth programs, and researchers, we can begin to address the critical needs of girls, as well as reverse this legacy of disparity."
Some of the primary findings of the report include the following:
· The need for gender-sensitive youth programming that meets the unique needs of girls is growing. Based on definitive trends in the coeducation of after-school programming – only 39 percent of youth participants in local after-school programming are female – and qualitative data collected from those working on the front lines of girls’ programming, the importance of girls-only programming is evident.
· Funding for single-sex programs, particularly for girls, appears to be drying up. In Boston 92 percent of foundation dollars go to coed programming; increasingly, specific references to "girls" and "boys" have been erased from requests for proposals and replaced by references to "children" and "youth."
· Distressing trends relative to girls in the Boston area, combined with the lack of solid information on girls, speak to the need for continued research on how to meet girls’ needs. While Where Are the Girls? reflects current data on girls’ programming and funding – both quantitative and qualitative – it also points out the relative scarcity of comprehensive research on girls and how their specific social and developmental needs can be met in after-school programming.
"Information highlighted in this report indicates that girls are becoming more visible, especially when gender is not considered as a factor in programming, funding, research and policy," says Jerry Martinson, executive director of Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, an organization that helps girls achieve their full potential through positive mentoring relationships with women. "Much has changed over the years, but growing up female has not gotten any easier. Girls have unique developmental needs which need to be part of the equation when designing programs so that girls can be given the opportunity to achieve their full potential."
Where Are the Girls? was compiled by the Girls’ Coalition of Greater Boston, a member-driven consortium dedicated to building the capacity of individuals and organizations to meet the needs of girls effectively and efficiently. The report was authored by Kathryn A. Wheeler, executive director; Rachel Oliveri, consultant to the Girls’ Coalition since 1997; Ila Deshmukh, advanced doctoral student at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University; and Molly Mead, Lincoln Filene professor and director of faculty programs for the University College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University.
For more information on Where Are the Girls? – The State of Girls’ Programming in Greater Boston call 617-536-8543 or visit.www.girlscoalition.org
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About the Girls’ Coalition
The Girls' Coalition of Greater Boston is a member-driven consortium dedicated to helping individuals and organizations meet the needs of girls. The Coalition coordinates networking, education, and advocacy focused on girls. Girls' Coalition trainings and resources increase the skills, knowledge, and connections of adults so that they can better support and empower girls. By enlightening and connecting thousands of adults, the Girls' Coalition improves the lives of hundreds of thousands of girls in Greater Boston.
For a copy of the executive summary or the full report, click on the links at the top of the page.
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