Girls' everyday resistance: findings from real choices real lives

Through our qualitative and longitudinal research study, Real Choices, Real Lives, Plan International has been following the lives of 142 girls across 9 countries - Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Philippines, Togo, Uganda, and Vietnam – from their births in 2006 through to age 18 in 2024. By tracking girls’ views, and experiences over the years, this report offers a rare and powerful look into how ordinary girls, who don’t necessarily identify as activists, “do politics” in their everyday lives. While attention often focuses on famous girl activists like Greta Thunberg, Girls’ Everyday Resistance reveals how the majority of the world’s girls engage politically in quieter but equally transformative ways. The research broadens what we think of as “girls’ in politics”, showing that girls’ everyday forms of resistance – questioning unfair rules, forming friendships across gender lines, refusing chores, or choosing how to spend their money – can drive change in their communities. Girls’ ability to resist depends not only on their courage but also on adults’ willingness to create safer and fairer communities where girls can thrive.