Discussion Prompts
Use these discussion prompts to guide a conversation on individual rights.
Right 1 | free, quality education which prepares them for the modern world
We deserve equal opportunity to attend school all the way to graduation, and we deserve freedom and safe transportation to get there. A girl's right to school should not be impacted by her cultural background, her pregnancy status, or the money her family may lack.
More than 130 million girls are out of school worldwide. (Source: World Bank)
Discussion Prompts:
What are challenges girls face in our community when they’re trying to go to school?
How does finishing school unlock opportunities for girls?
Right 2 | equality
We should be free from discrimination and stereotypes because of being a girl, whether at home, at school, or in our communities. We should have access to equal opportunities and we should never be harassed nor oppressed due to what we wear, what we do, or how we express ourselves.
Globally, girls spend 40% more time on housework than boys do. This is time they aren’t spending on play, education, and building social networks. (Source: UNICEF)
Discussion prompts:
Are girls and boys treated differently in the classrooms, on the sports field, and in our homes? How?
What is your version of an equal world?
Right 3 | involvement in decision-making and pursuit of leadership positions without fear of discrimination, harassment, or persecution
Girls must be allowed to decide what our future holds and be able to lead just as much as boys in school, at home, or in the community. Any decision that affects us should include us in a position of authority. We have the right for our voices to be listened to and respected.
Only 24.3% of all national parliamentarians were women as of February 2019, a slow increase from 11.3% in 1995. (Source: UN Women)
Discussion Prompts:
How can we have our voices heard? When was a time you felt your voice was powerful?
If you could pass a law for girls, what would it be and why?
Right 4 | documentation
Every girl has the right to access or acquire all legal and academic documents that will allow her to access opportunities and lead a full life recognized by relevant authorities.
The births of around one fourth of the global population of children under five have never been registered. (Source: UNICEF)
Discussion Prompts:
Imagine that you did not have documentation or an ID. How does that affect your day? Can you enroll in school? Get medical attention? Can you travel?
Are there girls in your community that are affected by a lack of documentation?
Right 5 | comprehensive sexual education and access to free, quality reproductive healthcare
This includes an education that informs us about our rights, consent, contraception, and healthy relationships. We should also have access to abortion and to proper healthcare, without criticism or shame.
23 million girls become pregnant each year. (Source: World Health Organization)
Discussion Prompts:
How does receiving comprehensive sexual education improve our lives?
Are we learning about our rights, consent, contraception, and healthy relationships in our school or at home? If not, how can we go about learning this?
Right 6 | protection from harmful traditions and enjoyment of positive cultural practices
We must be kept safe from non-consensual practices, and be given the opportunity to express the positive elements of our cultures.
At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone FGM (female genital mutilation) in 30 countries where representative data is available. (Source: UN Women)
Discussion Prompts:
What are harmful traditions for/expectations of girls in our society?
How can we celebrate girlhood?
Right 7 | safety from all forms of violence
All girls deserve healthy and safe relationships, including with romantic partners, parents, and family members. We should be safe from violence in all locations. All girls deserve shelter, clothing, and food.
Approximately 15 million adolescent girls (aged 15 to 19) worldwide have experienced forced sex at some point in their life. (Source: UN Women)
Discussion Prompts:
What are ways that girls experience violence in our community?
How can we protect our girl peers from violence?
Right 8 | decision-making about their body and sexuality
Girls have the right to choose whom they love, regardless of gender, and to express their sexuality without censure. We have a right to say “no” and to choose who, when, and if we will marry.
One girl under the age of 15 gets married every 7 seconds. (Source: UNICEF)
Discussion Prompts:
In our community, are there decisions that girls are prevented from making about their bodies and sexualities?
What forces in our community are preventing girls from having control of their bodies? What can be done to work with these forces?
Right 9 | protection under the law without fear or unequal treatment
Every girl has the right to seek legal protection in any situation where she feels insecure or undergoes an experience that needs legal attention, without being judged or her claim disregarded. No girl should ever be in a position where she has to choose to be silent due to fear of lack of legal protection.
More than a billion girls and women lack legal protection against sexual harassment in education and public spaces. (Source: Global Partnership for Education)
Discussion Prompts:
Does our community protect girls equally under the law?
How can we cultivate a community where girls feel safe and are protected?
Right 10 | freedom from exploitation
All girls deserve a happy childhood. We should never be forced to work, and we should be kept safe from child trafficking and early marriage.
71% of all trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls. (Source: UN Women)
Discussion Prompts:
What are ways girls are prevented from experiencing their childhood in our community?
How can we advocate for girls in our community who have been exploited?