Victorian women's magazines often provided the women of Britain and America with features on how women in other parts of the world lived, worked, and studied. Generally, these articles focused on how different such women's lives were - how quaint and curious, if not downright uncivilized and oppressive. Bear in mind that most writers of this period regarded non-Anglos (including Europeans) as inferior. You'll notice as well that many of these articles have words like "Girl" or "Girl-Life" in the title. While such articles may indeed cover children as well as adults, this is often simply an example of the use of the word "girl" for "woman" -- a usage that didn't really get knocked on its head until late in the 20th century! (See also Children of the World.)

The Girls of the World: Facts and Figures, by Horace Bushnell (Girl's Own Paper, 1886)

Interesting collection of statistics on women throughout the world - births, deaths, education, occupations and more.

Arab Countries

(See also "Morocco & Algiers" and "Turkey," below.)

The Life of an Eastern Woman (Harper's Monthly, 1873A)

The Women of Damascus (Godey's, 1873)

Home Life in the East (Harper's Monthly, 1876B)

Armenia

An Armenian Girl's Betrothal and Marriage (Girl's Own Paper, 1883)

Belgium

How Women Are Employed in Belgium (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1882)

Belgian Girls, by Darley Dale (Girl's Own Paper, 1884)

China

About Chinese Girls, by Mary L. Bryson (Quiver, 1889)

Finland

Women in Finland (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

France

French Girls, by Anne Beale (Girl's Own Paper, 1884)

French Girlhood, by Mme. Guizot de Witte (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890A)

This article looks at the changes to the lives of French girls over the previous 30 years, particularly due to the advent of the railways in bringing peoples and even countries closer together.

French Girls and Their Mothers, by Isabel Robson (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

How French Girls Are Employed, by Helen Zimmern (Girl's Own Paper, 1892)

French Girls in London, by Anne Beale (Girl's Own Paper, 1894)

Corsican Maidens, Manners and Mysteries (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Germany

First Impressions of a German Girl in England, and Notes on Girl-Life in Germany (Girl's Own Paper, 1882)

Girl-Life in Germany, by Emma Brewer (Girl's Own Paper, 1884)

Girl-Life in the Black Forest, (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

German Girlhood, by Lady Blennerhassett (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890A)

A more historic (and poetic) look at the lives of German girls, and the limited opportunities available to them.

German Women: Their Infancy, Girlhood and Married Life, by the Countess A. Von Bothmer (Girl's Own Paper, 1890)

Hamburg Market-Women (Pictorial Museum of Sport & Adventure, ca. 1890)

Greece

Greek Peasant Girls, and How They Live, by Mary Hayden and Lilian Greene (Girl's Own Paper, 1892)

The Girls of Greece, by Isabella Fyvie Mayo (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

Holland

Dutch Girlhood, by Mrs. Lecky (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890A)

Looking in particular at the excellent education offered to Dutch girls.

The Head-Dress of the Ladies of Holland (Girl's Own Paper, 1899)

India

Laws for the [Hindu] Ladies (Court Magazine, 1834)

Hindu Women (Girl's Own Paper, 1880)

Girl Life in India, by a Zenana Missionary (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

Home Life of Hindu Women, by Mrs. E.J. Humphrey (Demorest, 1888)

[Ayahs] Ladies' Maids of the East, by L. Pierson (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Child-Wives, by Emily Dibdin (Girl's Own Paper, 1901)

Italy

Women of Italy (Demorest, 1879)

Girl-Life in Italy (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

Japan

Our Sisters in Japan (Leisure Hour, 1868)

Japanese Girls, by Darley Dale (Girl's Own Paper, 1890)

Japanese Women, by Pierre Loti (Harper's Monthly, 1891A)

Laplan

Lapp Girls (Girl's Own Paper, 1888)

Mongolia

Mongolian Girls, by the Rev. James Gilmour (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

Morocco & Algiers

Moorish Women (Demorest, 1873)

The Arab Girls of Algiers, by E.F. Bridell-Fox (Girl's Own Paper, 1887)

Norway

Norwegian Girls, by Fru Alhed Schou (Girl's Own Paper, 1886)

Ragnhild: A Story of Norwegian Peasant Life, by Fru Alhed Schou (Girl's Own Paper, 1890)

Girl-Life, Now and Twenty Years Ago, in Norway (Girl's Own Paper, 1901)

Russia

Women in Russia (Demorest, 1872)

Girl Life in Russia, by F. Toulman Smith (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

Sweden

Swedish Girls, by Anne Beale (Girl's Own Paper, 1884)

Switzerland

Swiss Girls from an English Girl's Standpoint (Girl's Own Paper, 1901)

Turkey

The Daily Occupations of a Turkish Lady, by F.E. Albert (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1876)

A Turkish lady has little to do with running her household, this author tells us, but has many duties with respect to religious observances.

The Family Life of the Turks (Harper's Monthly, 1881A)

Harem Life in Turkey, by Olive Harper (Demorest, 1888)

• See also Wedding Customs Around the World