Re: Specifically for Unmarried Girls...
I'm inclined to suggest that women (and men), should not marry until the age of 25. Why so? Because, the brain does not fully mature until around this age. Furthermore, we generally stay with our parents til the age of 18, go to university, etc. These are all transitional phases. We are constantly growing and evolving. One needs "down time," after university in which to hone in their skills, and become a productive member of the work force. Working and reaping the fruit of your labor is most often found to be a considerable self esteem booster-- and in turn, teaches us important life skills.
Likewise (as it's been stated here before), women should ALWAYS be educated and be INDEPENDENT BEFORE they marry. If a woman goes from being dependent on her parents, to being dependent on a man, not only is she unable to fully come into her own, she is handicapped by this dependency.
Don't misonstrue my statements-- I am not saying that being dependent is necessarily bad or unwise, but when a woman has no other option but to be dependent, then she is open to a myriad of abuses. I do not seek to vilify all men, but merely to point out this in common sense. If a woman is capable of supporting herself, she is considerably less likely to be forced to remain in an abusive marriage for mere survival-- and is not forced to subject her children to said abuses because she is unable to provide for them.
Those who think that women should earn less than men or hold less prestigious positions are merely reinforcing the status quo which is founded SOLELY in the cowardice of men fearing that their penile-derived male entitlement is being threatened. Only cowards need to dominate others in order to feel as though they have an amount of worth. It is a harsh statement, but it needs to be repeated until it sinks into their thick skulls. Unless their mentality changes wherein they stop basing their perceptions of masculinity on conquest and control, not only will women continue to be down trodden, but rape and the battering of women will never cease.
Women need a choice in how they will live, who they will live with, and what they do with their lives. They should not be at a disadvantage, or straight out crippled by an inability to survive on their own. Allowing women to remain so infantile is a hindrance not only to their personal growth and quality of life, it perpetuates a culture where women are at the mercy of men with unending power. Don't let culture or any other factor stunt your personal growth.