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The latest edition of the journal Girlhood Studies - voted the best new journal in the social sciences and humanities for 2009 - is a commemorative issue to one of the founding editors, Jackie Kirk, who was killed in the course of her work in Afghanistan in 2008. The edition celebrates the flourishing of girls even in the face of the most challenging of circumstances, and features research studies from two groups at the Mailman School.

Sierra Leone

In one study, by Dr Alastair Ager and colleagues in the Program on Forced Migration & Health, the experience of girls returning to their communities after their abduction by rebel groups during the civil war in Sierra Leone is tracked. Using a novel methodology to identify girls own definitions of successful “reintegration”, the study showed that humanitarian interventions - including health checks, business loans and enabling traditional cleansing ceremonies in communities - had accelerated girls' recovery compared to those not receiving such support. “Particularly among those who had experienced the most stigma and difficulty on their initial return, the interventions helped girls assume a valued role within their communities” noted Dr Ager. “The girls who received such support have secured more satisfactory marriages - a key outcome specified for young women - and were more swiftly accepted by their communities.” The work is an an example of the program's research examining the effectiveness of humanitarian interventions in crisis settings.

Tanzania

In the other study, Dr Marni Sommer from the Department of Sociomedical Sciences, describes the ways in which the experience of girlhood is shifting in Tanzania due to influences from globalization and global imagery, and the need for capturing the perspectives of girls themselves on how these influences are shaping the transition to adulthood. A rural versus urban comparative case study was conducted in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania utilizing a range of methodologies. The study revealed that despite expressing anxiety about the influence of globalization and the greater freedoms suggested by Western-dominated global images, girls appreciated the new ideas and changes offered by access to global information. Unlike their parents, who tended to see this as a negative influence, girls understood the new opportunities that globalization can provide, for possible careers, professional pursuits, and improved lifestyles. Dr. Sommer argues that a better understanding of how such influences and imagery are changing girls’ experiences of girlhood, from the perspectives of girls themselves, will make it easier to develop effective forms of support and guidance as they journey into adulthood.

Together the studies highlight the rigorous social science research in which faculty at the Mailman School are engaged in supporting humanitarian and development agendas. The Global Health Initiative has been established to profile such work more effectively and to capitalize upon the synergies that are offered by such work across multiple programs and departments.