March 2022 — Development assistance has historically grouped adolescent girls with women or children, creating a “girl gap” during the preteen and teen years that has serious implications for social, economic, health and educational development. Major international development investment efforts have focused on achieving universal primary education, but fewer than half of the world’s countries have achieved gender parity at that level — and the situation worsens at higher grade levels.
Evidence demonstrates that programs specifically targeting adolescent girls provide high economic, health and social protection dividends. This brief highlights the critical importance of educating these girls, drawing on this evidence and FHI 360’s experience navigating the challenges that adolescent girls face in going to and remaining in school. Examples of FHI 360 programs that are successfully addressing the issues at stake are also summarized.
