Girl 2000: Young Women Define Whats Needed For a Brighter Future

PRESS RELEASE
Monday, March 20,2000
Contact: Trina Jackson, 617-426-5505

In National Magazine, Girls Identify Higher Self-esteem, Healthy Relationships, and Family Encouragement as Key to Becoming "Positive, Powerful Women"

Boston, MA ¾ While presidential candidates vie to make campaign rhetoric relevant to voters needs, young women already have an agenda for improving the quality of their own lives. Family problems, unhealthy relationships, and a negative self-image are among the top barriers to overcome, they write in the newest issue of Teen Voices, the nationally-acclaimed magazine for girls.

On relationships:
"The one thing I dislike the most is when youre serious and the other person is just playing games. To me, its just a waste of time."

On self-image:
"I hardly know any girls who dont wear makeup and doll themselves up. Many girls are worried about their weight, body, hair, and face."

On family:
"Family should be your support, your backbone, something you can depend
on."   

Recognizing the impact of television, peer pressure, and stress on their outlook, girls express the importance of peer support to avoid feelings of isolation. "Even though we go through a lot, girls need to stick together," writes 15-year-old Pippi Parker of San Pablo, California. "We need to put our heads on straight and keep them high so we can succeed in the next century."   

The article, entitled "Girl 2000," appears with other reader-submitted features on kinship adoption, dispelling the myths of rape, combating school violence, and a special behind-the-scenes look at Teen Voices. This year, the magazine celebrates its tenth anniversary.

Published quarterly by the non-profit organization Women Express, Inc., Teen Voices reaches 75,000 readers nationwide and has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, and The Boston Globe.
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