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The Girl Child

A Review of the Empirical Literature

University of Southern California, gheidema{at}usc.edu

Kristin M. Ferguson

University of Southern California, kmfergus{at}usc.edu

This article presents a critical synthesis of the empirical literature on the girl child. The often-cited issues faced by this population include the lack of access to education and health care, commercial sexual exploitation, and harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and forced marriage. Despite frequent accounts cited in the literature, there has been no prior comprehensive review of issues encountered by the girl child or accompanying solutions. Adopting the systematic review method, the authors examine 16 empirical studies in relation to their geographic settings, definitions of the girl child, research methods, issues explored, and findings. Recommendations for future research are offered.

Key Words: empirical research • feminist theory • girl child • systematic literature review

Affilia, Vol. 24, No. 2, 165-185 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0886109909331701


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