One Billion Girls examines the lives of girls from birth to eighteen. It reflects on the millions of girls in the developing world who are denied any freedom, whose sexuality provokes fear and harm, yet whose repressed lives are seen as normal - it also focuses on girls in developed countries whose choices are restricted by more subtle discrimination. Based on conversations with girls and women in eighty countries, the author's findings are reinforced by statistics which show a shameful picture of inequality and abuse. She challenges religious doctrines, tolerance of harmful customs and...