"I am a girl and I will call myself a feminist because I truly believe that woman should be in the same level playing field as man. I believe in the 'role' thing - how men and women are different and equal. If our skills match up or exceed that of man, then our wages should reflect that."
Zhu, 17, China
As young women leave their childhoods behind and become adults, they still face many obstacles that their male counterparts would not. Becoming a mother, dealing with issues of identity, sexuality and reproductive health, and earning a living: all carry their own problems for women throughout the world.
Sex and sexuality
"Reproductive health and sexuality... is not discussed adequately in school and not even at home. Certain behaviours of male members of our communities lead our (girls') lives into risk situations. But such things are always kept at a low level and are not able to be reported due to cultural constraints. Although these situations put our lives into unbearable status, such situations continue without being addressed."
Champi, aged 15 years, Sri Lanka
In some cultures, girls who are believed to have infringed family and social codes have been murdered by the male members of their family. This is sometimes known as 'honour killing'. A girl may have a boyfriend that her family does not approve of, she may refuse to have an arranged marriage, she may be a lesbian, or she may have been raped.
"The differences in reproductive health between the rich and the poor - both within and between countries - are larger than in any other area of health care."
UN Millennium Project.
Pregnancy is the leading cause of death in young women aged 15-19. And the youngest mothers-to-be are the most vulnerable. Young women, who have been married early and whose bodies are still not ready for them to become mothers, are especially at risk, as are their babies.
"The AIDS epidemic cannot be understood, nor can effective responses be developed, without taking into account the fundamental ways that gender influences the spread of the disease, its impact, and the success of prevention efforts."
UN Millennium Project
The AIDS epidemic continues to grow, with UNAIDS reporting 39.5 million people living with HIV in 2006. The figures for young women are much worse than those for young men - an estimated 7.3 million young women are living with HIV and AIDS, compared to 4.5 million young men. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the face of HIV is female.
"It is a moment for which we have waited for over 200 years. Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights. But women were not just waiting; women were working. Never losing faith, we worked to redeem the promise of America that all men and women are created equal. For our daughters and our granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling. For our daughters and our granddaughters, the sky is the limit. Anything is possible for them."
Nancy Pelosi, on her election as the first woman Speaker of the US House of Representatives, January 2007
At first glance, the future of paid work for young women looks bright. More women are earning a living than ever before, ideally giving them a route to economic independence that will allow them more say over their lives. Since the 1980s the numbers of women in the paid work force have grown faster than the numbers of men in every region of the world except Africa. In Latin America the growth rate for women has been three times that of men, while in the European Union 80 per cent of all growth in the labour force has been attributed to women's participation.
