Investing in Adolescent Girls
One of the most influential figures in the world today is an adolescent girl. Worldwide, there are 600 million girls growing up in developing countries, which reflect the largest generation of youth in history. The choices this generation of young women makes will shape their lives and a whole new generation of boys and girls.
Investing in an educated, healthy, skilled, and empowered girl today means she will have the tools to reinvest back into her family, her community, and our world.
We know that we can’t improve the lives of girls alone. We link people, capital, and ideas with the UN to help improve the lives of adolescent girls globally. From access to education and health care, to freedom from violence and HIV/AIDS, to delaying child marriage and early pregnancy, we work with the UN and NGO communities to tackle the complex issues and challenges that girls face today.
We believe that adolescent girls are critical to meeting the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The well-being of adolescent girls is the key to eliminating poverty, achieving social justice, stabilizing the population, and preventing foreseeable humanitarian crises.
Since our founding 10 years ago, we have invested $43 million in support of girl programs and helped build a community of girl advocates and champions through our work on such key initiatives as the Coalition for Adolescent Girls and the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Adolescent Girls.
Our adolescent girl initatives:
- Raise awareness and advocate for policy change
- Build communities of girl advocates and girl champions
- Mobilize resources for successful interventions impacting adolescent girls
The lives of girls around the world don’t have to be left to chance. Invest in an adolescent girl by donating to The Girl Fund.
STORIES OF IMPACT
Ending Fistula In This Generation
Area of Involvement: Women & Population
For 12 years, Sarah Omega Kidangasi suffered isolation and abandonment as a result of a debilitating childbirth injury.
How a $25 sheep can save a girl's life
Area of Involvement: Women & Population
Amhara’s child marriage rates are among the world’s highest. A pilot program in Ethiopia is working to change that one girl at a time.
RESOURCES
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Religion and America's Role in the World
Issue Area: US-UN Relations
Issue Area: Women & Population
The UN Foundation and Religion & Ethics News Weekly Public supported public opinion research that examined the role that religion plays in shaping people’s views about America’s role in the world and foreign policy priorities. The report explores how religion impacts Americans’ views on whether the U.S. should take an interventionist or isolationist posture on such key issues as the war on terrorism, humanitarian disaster relief and women’s rights around the world.
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10 Years of making a difference
Issue Area: Children’s Health
Issue Area: Climate & Energy
Issue Area: Sustainable Development
Issue Area: Technology
Issue Area: US-UN Relations
Issue Area: Women & Population
10 year report on how the role of the UN Foundation has changed and developed.


