10 Actions | The Coalition For Adolescent Girls

Count

Give adolescent girls an officially recognized identification

Ensure governments register all newborns and provide birth certificates to ensure access to health services and education. Furnish government-issued identification cards for all girls and boys over age 10 to reduce economic and social exploitation and to prevent girls’ underage marriage.

Collect data on adolescent girls and disaggregate it by age and gender to assess whether programs are reaching adolescent girls

Track program beneficiaries by age, gender, marital status, location, family income and school enrollment status in all programs and sectors. Analyze this information to assess whether programs are reaching adolescent girls—especially the most vulnerable. Regularly report results to increase accountability, share learnings, target solutions, demonstrate success, and catalyze more resources.

Invest

Increase funding for adolescent girls - and track what it achieves

Increase bilateral development funding for gender equality by 20% as part of a comprehensive effort to invest in adolescent girls. Mobilize resources from foundations and corporations to address girls’ needs. Deploy gender and girl experts in-country to advise on program design and ensure resources reach girls. Press for specific investments for girls by integrating their interests and needs in all major initiatives and by beginning such investments as early as 10 years old.

Expand opportunities for girls to attend secondary school

Provide schooling for all girls through lower secondary school, or to age 16, at a minimum, using subsidies, scholarships and conditional cash transfers to make it affordable for disadvantaged girls. Expand primary school facilities to house secondary school classes. Invest in non-formal schooling options to reach the most vulnerable girls. Track enrollment, completion rates, and the percentage of girls at grade for age to measure progress.

Re-focus HIV/AIDS prevention strategies to focus on adolescent girls

Given the disproportionate infection rates between girls and boys, implement prevention programs targeted to girls, Create a girl-specific focus within the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria to innovate new approaches and advocate for a girl-specific focus within country-level HIV plans and strategies. Track HIV resources to ensure they reach and benefit girls.

Re-orient health delivery systems to work for adolescent girls

Provide adolescent girls with services that are accessible, customized, confidential, and nonjudgmental. Offer check-ups for girls starting at age 10 that screen for reproductive and sexual health risks such as domestic violence and unintended pregnancy as well as for country-specific health issues like malaria. Target at-risk pregnant girls to reduce maternal mortality and conditions, such as fistula.

Economically empower adolescent girls by building and protecting their assets

Build marketable skills by enhancing the relevance of educational curricula and developing after-school tutoring and mentoring programs. Develop internships, apprenticeships and training opportunities to promote girls’ transitions to safe and productive livelihoods. Offer financial education programs – both formal and non-formal -- for girls at age 10-14 to build economic assets and financial literacy early in life. Work with microfinance and banking institutions to design services for girls, including savings accounts so girls can protect their assets.

Advocate

Make the law work for adolescent girls

Equip adolescent girls to advocate for themselves and their communities

Educate girls on their rights. Train and equip girls to educate leaders about their lives and to press for the enforcement of laws and policies that protect and enhance their rights. Engage girls in creating and executing programs and services that improve their own lives and those of their families and communities.

Mobilize communities, families, men and boys to support adolescent girls

Support religious and community leaders and head teachers to foster healthier, more supportive communities where girls can create and execute their own solutions. Engage men and boys as program co-beneficiaries and as important agents of solutions.

This is our roadmap to change. Based on findings from the Girls Count Report, these 10 actions across multiple sectors provide a comprehensive strategy to improve the lives of adolescent girls around the world.

Want to know more?
Check out the action plans focused on other sectors.

Health
Education
Voice

WHY GIRLS?
- Because they’re ready to change our world
  Learn More
Research
- Girls Count
  A global investment & action agenda
- Education
  The transformative power of educating teen girls
- Health
  Generations of healthy families start with a girl
- Voice
  Girls speak, we listen
- Maps
  The first girl-specific global maps
Action
- Big Picture
  10 actions, one global agenda
- Education
  Fulfill the promise of education for girls
- Health
  Work inside the health system and beyond
- Voice
  Give adolescent girls a bigger microphone
- ACT NOW
  Getting everyone involved
ABOUT US
- We believe that adolescent girls are the key to changing the course of global poverty. They just need a chance.
  Learn More

Count

Invest

Advocate

Want to know more? Check out the action plans focused on other sectors.

Want to know more?
Check out the action plans focused on other sectors.