Real Choices, Real Lives
We’re following the lives of 142 girls living in poverty in nine countries, across three continents, over their first 18 years. We explore the detailed experiences of these girls and their families. This includes the voices of the girls themselves – they describe their hopes and dreams and their daily realities.
The study provides genuine insight into the way family and community shape girls’ expectations of what they can do, and be, right from the very beginning. Our research helps to put a human face on the available statistics, theories and academic discussions.
This work helps to further our understanding of girls’ lives and the factors that support and impinge them. We use our evidence to support our policy work and in the future it will inform our programing. Find out more about the work we do by taking a look at our latest reports.
Girls challenging the gender rules
In 2019, we look at how and why girls ‘accept’ or ‘disrupt’ gender norms.
Girls’ Burden of Unpaid Care
In 2018, we look at how the increasing burden of unpaid care affects the lives of the girls.
Violence in Girls' Daily Lives
in 2017 we look specifically at the experiences of violence among the girls and their families taking part in the Real Choices, Real Lives cohort study.
The first 10 years: 9 girls' lives from around the world
Here, nine girls, from across the world tell us about their daily lives
Related blogs
Real Choices, Real Lives: Identifying 'glitches' in the gender socialisation process
Looking deeper into the data from our longitudinal study.
Real Choices, Real Lives: Girls’ evolving time use and emerging resistance
A response to the 'Young Lives' research on children's time use.
Unpaid care work - the burden on girls
How unpaid work at home is impacting the lives of girls from our cohort study.
Girls' Experiences of Violence
Find out more about the latest research from Real Choices, Real Lives