Posing behind the chairman's podium in United Nations Conference Room Three, where they addressed the 42nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, are 15 young girls from around the world, whose presence was sponsored by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working on issues related to the girl child. The girls came from eight countries - Armenia, Brazil, Chile, the Gambia, Nepal, Singapore, the UK, and the USA - and ranged in age from 13 to 18. Their testimony about the problems and challenges facing young women was often poignant.