 One person in eight is a girl or young woman 10 to 24 years old. Young people are the fastest growing segment of the population in developing countries, and their welfare is a fundamental input for key economic and social outcomes -- including the size and competitiveness of tomorrow's labor force, future economic growth, improved governance, and healthy civil societies.
But girls in developing countries are in trouble. They face systematic disadvantages over a wide range of welfare indicators, including health, education, nutrition, labor force participation, and the burden of household tasks. Because of deprivation and discriminatory cultural norms, many poor girls are forced to marry at very young ages and are extraordinarily vulnerable to HIV, sexual violence, and physical exploitation. Lacking a full range of economic opportunities and devalued because of gender bias, many girls are seen as unworthy of investment or protection by their families.
Building on work for the UN Millennium Project Task Force on Education and Gender Equality, and work on global health and demographic change, the Center for Global Development teamed up with the Population Council and the International Center for Research on Women to:
- Summarize evidence about the importance of girls and young women within economic and social development;
- Recommend effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods;
- Provide the rationale and policy roadmap necessary to mobilize such support from national governments, donors, private sector and civil society; and,
- Inform the public about ways in which we can all contribute to improving the situation of adolescent girls in poor countries.
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda Report
 The wellbeing of adolescent girls in developing countries shapes global economic and social prosperity -- yet girls' needs often are consigned to the margins of development policies and programs. This new report describes why and how to provide adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance in life. Offering targeted recommendations for national and local governments, donor agencies, civil society, and the private sector, Girls Count provides a compelling starting point for country-specific agendas to recognize and foster girls' potential. Learn More
Girls Count Report Co-authors
Margaret Greene (ICRW), Cynthia Lloyd (Population Council), Caren Grown (American University)
Girls Count is a three-year initiative generously co-funded by the Nike Foundation and the UN Foundation’s Better World Fund.
Newest
Popular
Experts
Publications
Events
Multimedia
-
Join us as we launch CGD's newest report, Start With A Girl: A New Agenda For Global Health. The report, supported by the Nike Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is a complement to the 2008 publication, Girls Count: An Action and Investment Agenda, and is part of a series of publications about adolescent girls' education, health, and economic empowerment in the developing world. Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Global Health conveys the importance of adolescent girls’ health as part of a broad human rights and economic development agenda and highlights the ways in which the health risks faced by girls can be addressed through specific, high-impact actions by the international community, national governments, and civil society.
Ambassador of Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer will describe the administration's commitment to girls' wellbeing in developing countries, including the State Department’s current efforts and future plans. Following Ambassador Verveer’s address, authors Ruth Levine and Miriam Temin will give a brief overview of the contents of the report and a preview of the eight recommendations for promoting adolescent girls' health. This will be followed by a lively panel discussion.
-
CCG launched the Start With A Girl: A New Agenda For Global Health report on October 7, 2009. In this video of the event, Ambassador of Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer described the Obama administration's commitment to girls' wellbeing in developing countries, including the State Department’s current efforts and future plans. Following Ambassador Verveer’s address, authors Ruth Levine and Miriam Temin gave a brief overview of the contents of the report and a preview of the eight recommendations for promoting adolescent girls' health. A lively panel discussion followed.
-
In a pathbreaking follow-up to the 2008 report Girls Count, Miriam Temin and CGD vice president Ruth Levine shed light on the reality of girls’ health worldwide and its enormous on the wellbeing and productivity of girls, their families, and their nations. Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Global Health highlights successful efforts to break the cycle of ill health and proposes a comprehensive, practical health agenda that starts with adolescent girls.
-
CGD vice president Ruth Levine suggests specific actions for the Obama administration to take for the impact of the White House Council on Women and Girls to extend beyond U.S. borders.
-
Sponsored by the World Bank InfoShop, PREM Gender and Development Group, HDN Children and Youth Unit, and Y2Y
Chaired by
Mayra Buvinic
Sector Director, Gender and Development, World Bank
Presented by Authors
Ruth Levine
Vice President for Programs and Operations & Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development
Margaret Greene
Director of Population and Social Transactions, International Center for Research on Women
Carin Grown
Economist-in-residence, Department of Economics, American University
Discussed by
Wendy Cunningham
Lead Specialist, Children and Youth Unit, World Bank
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
12:00pm--2:00pm
at
World Bank J Building
Auditorium J1-050
Read Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
-
The wellbeing of adolescent girls has a decisive impact on developing countries' current and future economic and social prosperity, but girls' needs remain at the margins of global development policies and programs. Why should we pay more attention to girls? What difference can adolescent girls make in achieving positive development outcomes? How can stakeholders initiate effective investments that will give girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods?
Following a personal statement by a young woman who has experienced many hardships in her own country, the authors of Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda will present their findings and policy recommendations. Participants will also hear from leading policymakers about key strategies to improve the wellbeing of girls and young women.
-
The wellbeing of adolescent girls in developing countries shapes global economic and social prosperity -- yet girls' needs often are consigned to the margins of development policies and programs. This new report describes why and how to provide adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance in life. Offering targeted recommendations for national and local governments, donor agencies, civil society, and the private sector, Girls Count provides a compelling starting point for country-specific agendas to recognize and foster girls' potential.
Learn More
-
Girls have achieved remarkable increases in primary schooling over the past decade, yet millions are still not in school. In Inexcusable Absence, CGD visiting fellows Maureen Lewis and Marlaine Lockheed reported the startling new finding that nearly three-quarters of out-of-school girls belong to minority or otherwise marginalized groups. This companion volume further analyzes school enrollment, completion and learning with case studies in seven countries: Bangladesh, China, Guatemala, India, Laos, Pakistan, and Tunisia.
Learn More
-
Remarkable increases in primary schooling over the past decade have brought gender equity to the education systems of many poor countries. But some 60 million girls are still not attending school. In this CGD brief, non-resident fellow Maureen Lewis and visiting fellow Marlaine Lockheed explain the key discovery of Inexcusable Absence, their recent book: three out of four girls not in school belong to ethnic, religious, linguistic, racial or other minorities. Based on this important finding, the authors present new practical solutions to achieve universal primary education for girls and boys. Learn more
-
Despite remarkable increases in girls' primary schooling over the past decade, 60 million girls are still not in school. In Inexcusable Absence, authors Maureen Lewis and Marlaine Lockheed show that most of these girls belong to ethnic, religious, linguistic, racial or other minorities. Congressman Pomeroy and M.P. Stronach will offer insights about what these findings may mean for donor country efforts to support girls' education.
-
The wellbeing of adolescent girls in developing countries shapes global economic and social prosperity -- yet girls' needs often are consigned to the margins of development policies and programs. This new report describes why and how to provide adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance in life. Offering targeted recommendations for national and local governments, donor agencies, civil society, and the private sector, Girls Count provides a compelling starting point for country-specific agendas to recognize and foster girls' potential.
Learn More
-
In a pathbreaking follow-up to the 2008 report Girls Count, Miriam Temin and CGD vice president Ruth Levine shed light on the reality of girls’ health worldwide and its enormous on the wellbeing and productivity of girls, their families, and their nations. Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Global Health highlights successful efforts to break the cycle of ill health and proposes a comprehensive, practical health agenda that starts with adolescent girls.
-
Girls' education is widely recognized as crucial to development. Yet there has been surprisingly little hardheaded analysis about what is keeping girls out of school, and how to overcome these barriers. In Inexcusable Absence, Maureen Lewis and Marlaine Lockheed present new research showing that nearly three-quarters of the 60 million girls still not in school belong to ethnic, religious, linguistic, racial or other minorities. The authors then examine examples of success in helping these doubly disadvantaged girls to attend school and offer concrete proposals for new policies and programs.
-
Girls have achieved remarkable increases in primary schooling over the past decade, yet millions are still not in school. In Inexcusable Absence, CGD visiting fellows Maureen Lewis and Marlaine Lockheed reported the startling new finding that nearly three-quarters of out-of-school girls belong to minority or otherwise marginalized groups. This companion volume further analyzes school enrollment, completion and learning with case studies in seven countries: Bangladesh, China, Guatemala, India, Laos, Pakistan, and Tunisia.
Learn More
-
Join us as we launch CGD's newest report, Start With A Girl: A New Agenda For Global Health. The report, supported by the Nike Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is a complement to the 2008 publication, Girls Count: An Action and Investment Agenda, and is part of a series of publications about adolescent girls' education, health, and economic empowerment in the developing world. Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Global Health conveys the importance of adolescent girls’ health as part of a broad human rights and economic development agenda and highlights the ways in which the health risks faced by girls can be addressed through specific, high-impact actions by the international community, national governments, and civil society.
Ambassador of Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer will describe the administration's commitment to girls' wellbeing in developing countries, including the State Department’s current efforts and future plans. Following Ambassador Verveer’s address, authors Ruth Levine and Miriam Temin will give a brief overview of the contents of the report and a preview of the eight recommendations for promoting adolescent girls' health. This will be followed by a lively panel discussion.
-
The wellbeing of adolescent girls has a decisive impact on developing countries' current and future economic and social prosperity, but girls' needs remain at the margins of global development policies and programs. Why should we pay more attention to girls? What difference can adolescent girls make in achieving positive development outcomes? How can stakeholders initiate effective investments that will give girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods?
Following a personal statement by a young woman who has experienced many hardships in her own country, the authors of Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda will present their findings and policy recommendations. Participants will also hear from leading policymakers about key strategies to improve the wellbeing of girls and young women.
-
CGD senior fellow and director of programs Ruth Levine has urged the U.S. Congress to push for independent evaluation of development assistance. In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Levine said that independent impact evaluation is crucial for ensuring that the billions of dollars spent on development actually helps poor people.
-
CCG launched the Start With A Girl: A New Agenda For Global Health report on October 7, 2009. In this video of the event, Ambassador of Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer described the Obama administration's commitment to girls' wellbeing in developing countries, including the State Department’s current efforts and future plans. Following Ambassador Verveer’s address, authors Ruth Levine and Miriam Temin gave a brief overview of the contents of the report and a preview of the eight recommendations for promoting adolescent girls' health. A lively panel discussion followed.
-
Remarkable increases in primary schooling over the past decade have brought gender equity to the education systems of many poor countries. But some 60 million girls are still not attending school. In this CGD brief, non-resident fellow Maureen Lewis and visiting fellow Marlaine Lockheed explain the key discovery of Inexcusable Absence, their recent book: three out of four girls not in school belong to ethnic, religious, linguistic, racial or other minorities. Based on this important finding, the authors present new practical solutions to achieve universal primary education for girls and boys. Learn more
-
CGD vice president Ruth Levine suggests specific actions for the Obama administration to take for the impact of the White House Council on Women and Girls to extend beyond U.S. borders.
-
Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Global Health
- Oct 5, 2009
In a pathbreaking follow-up to the 2008 report Girls Count, Miriam Temin and CGD vice president Ruth Levine shed light on the reality of girls’ health worldwide and its enormous on the wellbeing and productivity of girls, their families, and their nations. Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Global Health highlights successful efforts to break the cycle of ill health and proposes a comprehensive, practical health agenda that starts with adolescent girls.
-
-
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
- Jan 14, 2008
The wellbeing of adolescent girls in developing countries shapes global economic and social prosperity -- yet girls' needs often are consigned to the margins of development policies and programs. This new report describes why and how to provide adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance in life. Offering targeted recommendations for national and local governments, donor agencies, civil society, and the private sector, Girls Count provides a compelling starting point for country-specific agendas to recognize and foster girls' potential.
Learn More
-
Exclusion, Gender and Education: Case Studies from the Developing World
- Sep 24, 2007
Girls have achieved remarkable increases in primary schooling over the past decade, yet millions are still not in school. In Inexcusable Absence, CGD visiting fellows Maureen Lewis and Marlaine Lockheed reported the startling new finding that nearly three-quarters of out-of-school girls belong to minority or otherwise marginalized groups. This companion volume further analyzes school enrollment, completion and learning with case studies in seven countries: Bangladesh, China, Guatemala, India, Laos, Pakistan, and Tunisia.
Learn More
-
Inexcusable Absence: Why 60 Million Girls Still Aren't in School and What to do About It (Brief)
- Apr 16, 2007
Remarkable increases in primary schooling over the past decade have brought gender equity to the education systems of many poor countries. But some 60 million girls are still not attending school. In this CGD brief, non-resident fellow Maureen Lewis and visiting fellow Marlaine Lockheed explain the key discovery of Inexcusable Absence, their recent book: three out of four girls not in school belong to ethnic, religious, linguistic, racial or other minorities. Based on this important finding, the authors present new practical solutions to achieve universal primary education for girls and boys. Learn more
-
Inexcusable Absence: Why 60 Million Girls Still Aren't In School and What to do About It
- Jan 4, 2007
Girls' education is widely recognized as crucial to development. Yet there has been surprisingly little hardheaded analysis about what is keeping girls out of school, and how to overcome these barriers. In Inexcusable Absence, Maureen Lewis and Marlaine Lockheed present new research showing that nearly three-quarters of the 60 million girls still not in school belong to ethnic, religious, linguistic, racial or other minorities. The authors then examine examples of success in helping these doubly disadvantaged girls to attend school and offer concrete proposals for new policies and programs.
-
Ruth Levine calls for independent impact evaluation of aid in Senate testimony
- Mar 28, 2006
CGD senior fellow and director of programs Ruth Levine has urged the U.S. Congress to push for independent evaluation of development assistance. In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Levine said that independent impact evaluation is crucial for ensuring that the billions of dollars spent on development actually helps poor people.
-
Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Global Health
- Oct 7, 2009
Join us as we launch CGD's newest report, Start With A Girl: A New Agenda For Global Health. The report, supported by the Nike Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is a complement to the 2008 publication, Girls Count: An Action and Investment Agenda, and is part of a series of publications about adolescent girls' education, health, and economic empowerment in the developing world. Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Global Health conveys the importance of adolescent girls’ health as part of a broad human rights and economic development agenda and highlights the ways in which the health risks faced by girls can be addressed through specific, high-impact actions by the international community, national governments, and civil society.
Ambassador of Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer will describe the administration's commitment to girls' wellbeing in developing countries, including the State Department’s current efforts and future plans. Following Ambassador Verveer’s address, authors Ruth Levine and Miriam Temin will give a brief overview of the contents of the report and a preview of the eight recommendations for promoting adolescent girls' health. This will be followed by a lively panel discussion.
-
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
- May 27, 2008
Sponsored by the World Bank InfoShop, PREM Gender and Development Group, HDN Children and Youth Unit, and Y2Y
Chaired by
Mayra Buvinic
Sector Director, Gender and Development, World Bank
Presented by Authors
Ruth Levine
Vice President for Programs and Operations & Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development
Margaret Greene
Director of Population and Social Transactions, International Center for Research on Women
Carin Grown
Economist-in-residence, Department of Economics, American University
Discussed by
Wendy Cunningham
Lead Specialist, Children and Youth Unit, World Bank
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
12:00pm--2:00pm
at
World Bank J Building
Auditorium J1-050
Read Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
-
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
- Jan 30, 2008
The wellbeing of adolescent girls has a decisive impact on developing countries' current and future economic and social prosperity, but girls' needs remain at the margins of global development policies and programs. Why should we pay more attention to girls? What difference can adolescent girls make in achieving positive development outcomes? How can stakeholders initiate effective investments that will give girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods?
Following a personal statement by a young woman who has experienced many hardships in her own country, the authors of Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda will present their findings and policy recommendations. Participants will also hear from leading policymakers about key strategies to improve the wellbeing of girls and young women.
-
Inexcusable Absence: Why 60 million girls still aren’t in school
and what to do about it
- Feb 13, 2007
Despite remarkable increases in girls' primary schooling over the past decade, 60 million girls are still not in school. In Inexcusable Absence, authors Maureen Lewis and Marlaine Lockheed show that most of these girls belong to ethnic, religious, linguistic, racial or other minorities. Congressman Pomeroy and M.P. Stronach will offer insights about what these findings may mean for donor country efforts to support girls' education.
-
-
-
Women & War: Images of Gender and Conflict in a Tumultuous World
- Jun 22, 2004
CGD is honored to present Women & War, photographer Jenny Matthews’ poignant visual diary of women workers, caregivers and mediators living in areas of extreme conflict. The photographs illuminate faces of suffering, strength, and perseverance-from Afghanistan to Chechnya, Ethiopia to Sierra Leone. Please join us to view the exhibit, as our distinguished panelists provide a context for the role of women throughout the developing world in conflict resolution-and prevention.
|
|
Print
Share
