Hopes, dreams and fears: the world of teenage girls through their diaries

To mark International Women’s Day, explore beyond the stereotypes with Masuma Ahuja’s book Girlhood, a collection of diary entries from girls around the world

Masuma Ahuja was tired of seeing the same stories told about teenage girls. They were either victimised or sexualised, even if an “exceptional girl” such as Greta Thunberg or Malala Yousafzai was occasionally held up as a role model for fighting back.

“We have very little understanding of the day-to-day life of girls and what life looks like for them,” says Ahuja. “I wanted to create a small portrait of what girlhood looks like in different places, and something that girls can pick up and feel seen by … and seen by girls elsewhere who share their own experiences.”

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Malala Yousafzai full of ‘joy and gratitude’ after graduating from Oxford

Educational campaigner tweets about completing philosophy, politics and economics degree

The Nobel prize-winning campaigner Malala Yousafzai has expressed her “joy and gratitude” after completing her degree at University of Oxford.

The 22-year-old shared two pictures of herself covered in confetti on Twitter with the caption: “Hard to express my joy and gratitude right now as I completed my Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree at Oxford.

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Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai meet at Oxford University

Swedish climate activist visits Yousafzai’s college while in UK for Bristol youth protest

The teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has met Malala Yousafzai at the University of Oxford where the Nobel peace prize winner is a student.

Yousafzai, 22, posted a photo on Instagram of herself and Thunberg sitting on a bench with their arms around each other on Tuesday, with the caption: “Thank you, @gretathunberg” and a heart emoji.

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Malala Returns to Pakistan

Nearly six years after being shot in the face and neck by the Taliban for advocating for the rights of girls, 20-year-old Malala Yousafzai returned Thursday to Pakistan, a source with close knowledge of the visit told CNN. Yousafzai, the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, is expected to meet Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while she is in Islamabad, where the city is on high alert for security due to her visit.