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National Girls Conference starts in NY

NEW YORK, Jan. 3 -- More than 125 girls from around the United States are gathering in New York to take part in the First National Girls Conference. Organizers say young women from 36 states will focus in the two-day conference Friday and Saturday on creating a girls' movement, with inspiration provided by feminist legends Gloria Steinem and Marlo Thomas, among others.

Modeled on 1995's Beijing Conference for Women, the Girls Conference is billed as the start of a new movement for adolescent females. One young participant, 10-year-old Lizzie Hazlett of West Virginia, says 'We're going to change things and make life equal for girls.' The conference grew out of a self-esteem program called Girls Speak Out founded by Steinem and Andrea Johnston, the author of a book by the same name. Johnston says members of the Speak Out program asked for the conference to meet like-minded young women. She says they plan to work for changes 'that make girls a priority, give them a voice and involve them directly in making those changes.' After a day of informal meetings and preliminary seminars, conference participants will settle into three working groups. They'll focus on girls' portrayals in the media, girls' experiences with violence, and human rights. A highlight for the young activists is expected to be question and answer sessions with Thomas, Steinem and basketball great Sheryl Swoopes. ---

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