Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda

The wellbeing of adolescent girls in developing countries shapes current and future global economic and social prosperity—yet girls ’ needs remain at the margins of development policies and programs. This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods. Offering targeted recommendations for national and local governments, donor agencies, civil society, and the private sector, the authors provide a compelling starting point for country-specific agendas to recognize and foster girls ’ potential. “This report makes it impossible for you to say ‘That’s not my problem. ’ It combines a strong case for investments in girls with recommendations on what we all can do.” David Bloom, Harvard School of Public Health “This report is a call to action. It challenges institutions in all sectors to take a fresh look at their investments and consider where adolescent girls have been built in. The truth is they haven’t been and ignoring that will come at a great price to us all.” Mary Robinson, Columbia University; former president of Ireland; former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights “Girl power is real and can, if harnessed well, be an extremely forceful agent of change, impacting families and societies. I hope this report will inspire the world to invest the resources and ideas to unlock the potential of adolescent girls and their role in shaping a better world.” Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder and Chairperson, Building Resources Across Communities (BRAC) “The Agenda for Adolescent Girls shows us that investments in girls are not just about equality of opportunity. If we truly hope to advance developing economies, we need to understand that investing in adolescent girls is a growth, development and poverty reduction imperative.