In this photo released by V-Day, Eve Ensler is joined by two women outside Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, eastern Congo. The hospital sees about 3,500 women a year suffering fistula and other severe genital injuries, victims of what a U.N. expert called the worst violence against women in the world. (AP)

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Eve Ensler made the language of female anatomy an open book in “The Vagina Monologues.”

A decade and more on, her one-woman play has morphed into a rallying point against victimization of women worldwide.

Now, Ensler is turning her attention to girls. In her new book, “I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World,” she animates stories of girls abused, trafficked, mutilated, locked up in Facebook and lost.

And she champions girl power — which could and should, she says, save the world.

This hour, On Point: Eve Ensler on girls.

You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Eve Ensler joins us from New York. Performer, activist, and Obie-winning playwright, she’s best known for “The Vagina Monologues.” Her new book is “I am an Emotional Creature: the Secret Life of Girls Around the World.” You can read an excerpt here. She is also founder of the group V-Day, which works to end violence against women and girls across the globe.

While politics rage and the economy tumbles, American kids keep on growing up — and the debate goes on over the messages that American teenage girls in particular are getting as they come of age.

The hot book series and girl teen TV show of the season is “Gossip Girl” — a sexy, edgy, anything-but-Brady Bunch teen soap set in Manhattan. “Mean Girls” on steroids. Sex, drugs, vanity, and vicious competition.

Does it matter? We’ll ask the creator of “Gossip Girl” and a publisher pushing in a different direction.

This hour, On Point: Targeting the hearts and minds of America’s teenage girls.

You can join the conversation. Are you raising a pre-teen or teen daughter in the era of “Gossip Girl”? Is she reading and watching all this stuff? And is that okay? Is it harmless fantasy? Innoculation? Or setting girls up for trouble?

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Joining us from Brooklyn, New York, is Cecily von Ziegesar, creator of the “Gossip Girl” books series, which is now a hit TV show in its second season. She’s also created two spinoff series, “The It Girl,” and “Gossip Girl-The Carlysles.”

With us in our studio is Addie Swartz, creator of the Beacon Street Girls series of books, which more or less bills itself as a healthy antidote to the world of “Gossip Girl.”

And from Silver Spring, Maryland, we are joined by Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, professor of child development and education at Columbia University’s Teachers College and co-director of the National Center for Children and Families.

A big sister’s nailpolish and eyeshadow. Mom’s high heels. Rites of passage–and good fun–for many young girls.

But these days, girls are digging deep into their piggybanks and hitting the malls. Glitter products, pedicures, mini-makeovers.

These tweens, as they’re called, are now spending $51 billion of their own pocket money. And marketers, sponsoring birthday parties and sleepovers, are eager to know what a girl wants — at age 10 and 8, even as young as 6.

This hour, On Point: When little girls become beauty consumers, and how young is too young.

-Jane Clayson

Guests:

Camille Sweeney, contributor to The New York Times, her article “Never Too Young for That First Pedicure” appeared on February 28.

Samantha Skey, senior vice president of strategic marketing at Alloy Media and Marketing in New York.

Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, professor of child development and education at Columbia University, and director of the National Center for Children and Families.

Joan Jacobs Brumberg, professor emerita at Cornell University and author of “The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls.”