Investing in Adolescent Girls
Worldwide, there are close to 900 milllion girls or young women aged 10 to 24. We believe that investing in adolescent girls—addressing their needs, concerns and rights—is critical to ensuring the economic and social well-being of a country. Girls are often the most marginalized and vulnerable members of society.
We know that an adolescent girl who stays in school is more likely to find a job as an adult, have fewer children and is able to earn more for her family and community. We encourage collaboration among leading international organizations, business and faith communities, and UN agencies to shed light on the unique challenges and needs of girls. We work to:
- Increase resources and political commitments from governments, UN agencies and private donors to address the needs of adolescent girls, particularly the most marginalized and vulnerable;
- Enhance legal and policy protections for adolescent girls at the local, national and international levels; and
- Engage youth, particularly young women in higher-income countries, on the urgent need to improve the lives and health of adolescent girls worldwide.
Our advocacy efforts focus on issues of critical importance to adolescent girls, including:
- Reproductive and sexual health, including HIV, fistula and FGM/C;
- Child marriage;
- Economic opportunities;
- Education;
- Sexual and other gender-based violence; and
- Rights within the family.
To date, we have invested more than $42 million in programs to advance the needs of adolescent girls, working with key UN agencies—the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in particular—to build the UN’s institutional capacity for and prioritization of advancing the interests of adolescent girls.
STORIES OF IMPACT
Women and Faith Leaders Work to End Global Poverty
Area of Involvement: Women & Population
Women and girls make critical choices that can lead their families out of poverty. The international development, women's rights and faith communities are working together to support women and girls.
Saying NO to Violence Against Women
Area of Involvement: Women & Population
At least one out of three women globally has been beaten or abused in her lifetime. To end violence against women and girls on a global scale, we worked with UNIFEM to add voices to its global petition.
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.
