Riding the wave of a booming girl culture worldwide, this collection of girls’ voices across the globe invites us to learn more about their varied girlhoods. From coming-of-age rituals in South Africa to the impact of computers and popular magazines on girls in Japan and Germany, Millennium Girls offers us a broader vision of girlhood around the world. Though a universal experience, girlhood is not always carefree. Instead, as this book documents, many girls are not valued for who they are, whether socially, culturally, or intellectually. Despite the countless girls around the globe who remain voiceless, mostly white, middle-class girls in the United States and Britain have often been given their turn to speak about their lives. This emphasis on these girls, while important, cannot adequately explore the connections between them and girls around the world. In a society that is becoming increasingly globalized, Millennium Girls fills this gap, becoming essential reading for anyone interested in girls and women and the differences and similarities in girlhoods among varied cultures and societies. Around the globe, girls often face bleak realities about their lives, careers, and families. In many cases, they are still second-class citizens, doubly marginalized by their age and gender. Girls are further marginalized because their lives are rarely taken seriously or are disregarded entirely; this is particularly true for girls living on the fringes of society because of their race, ethnicity, social class, or sexual orientation. For these reasons, girls become voiceless in many cultures, both inside and outside of the United States. Millennium Girls addresses this absence and creates a space for some of the girls, who have not been allowed or given an opportunity, to speak. Voices of girls in South Africa, Japan, Germany, Israel, and the United States blend together to create a unique portrait of shared and differing experiences of girlhood.

Contributions by: Shelley Budgeon, Mareike Herrmann, Barbara Kaoru Ige, Kendall, South Africa, Dafna Lemish, Stephanie Levine, Margaret McCarthy, Rika Sakuma Sato, Laurie Schaffner, Kazuko Suzuki, Karen Orr Vered