|  | Welcome – Bienvenido – Bienvenue |
| In this newsletter, we share some memorable moments advocating with and for adolescent girls and young women in various global spaces - in partnership with our members and AGAC.
We’ve included highlights from January to April 2024: the Accountability Champions Event on the sidelines of CSW 68 and Adolescent Girls Advisory Committee (AGAC) celebrating its first anniversary. Additionally, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our latest research and introduce our newest members - ActionAid UK and FRIDA!
We hope you enjoy reading this and find the added resources useful in your work. Do not hesitate to reach out, should you have any feedback, comments or requests.
In solidarity, The Adolescent Girls Investment Plan (AGIP) |
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Our 2023 Annual Report is full of celebration: from centring the voices and leadership of adolescent girls and young women at the Women Deliver 2023 Conference and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to launching our very first Adolescent Girls Advisory Committee - it was an impactful year.
Share your reflections once you read, download or share the report here.
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| AGIP’s Accountability Event at CSW 68 |
| | On March 15, 2024, we organised a high-level intergenerational dialogue, followed by a workshop, "In Conversation with Adolescent Girls: What it Means to Be Girls’ Ally on the Global Stage," in collaboration with UNFPA. Held on the sidelines of CSW 68, the event focused on critical aspects of allyship for girls in global advocacy, including meaningful inclusion, resourcing, and accountability mechanisms.
A diverse panel of speakers, featuring member state representatives from Canada, Kenya, Sierra Leone and the USA were interviewed by adolescent girl leaders, with UNFPA and UN Youth Office providing opening and closing remarks respectively. Ninety-eight participants, including girls, CSO focal points, member state representatives, and leaders from multilateral organizations, were present in the event which featured a high-level panel followed by a carefully curated workshop segment. Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA, listened to the recommendations from girl leaders at the end of the workshop segment and shared powerful insights. We appreciate the commitment of all who attend in ensuring adolescent girls and young women are at the centre of accountability processes and decision-making concerning their lives. AGIP looks forward to continuing meaningful engagement and allyship.
You can find key takeaways and girls’ recommendations in the event summary report. |
| Celebrating One Year of AGAC |
|  | AGIP’s first-ever Adolescent Girls Advisory Committee officially completed its first year on 14th March 2024. We organised annual review and celebration calls with our Girl Advisors and their community-based focal points in March and April and are delighted to note all the positive progress made over the year.
From creating a safe, joyful space during monthly calls, democratically electing AGAC members to the AGIP Board, providing need-based support calls for each Girl Advisor and focal point, organising capacity-building sessions, reviewing key AGIP projects and annual work plans, co-designing and co-facilitating monthly calls, we have made positive progress on the core mandate of AGIP around sharing decision-making power.
Celebrate with AGAC, here is what the journey has been like! |
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| +++ Research Launch +++Resourcing Girls: The potential challenges of girl-and-youth-led organising |
|  | AGIP’s latest research piece, ‘Resourcing Girls: The potential challenges of girl- and youth-led organising,’ conducted in partnership with GAGE is now available for download. The research study explores the experiences of girls in youth-led work across low-middle-income country contexts, aiming to understand their characteristics, contributions, and challenges.
The report was launched on 4 April 2024, during a webinar moderated by Akili Dada Executive Director & AGIP Co-Chair, Joy Zawadi, with Dr. Kate Pincock from GAGE presenting the research findings. Sandile - Advocacy Manager (FRIDA), Pamela - Adolescent Girls and Young Woman Coordinator (LGLI), and Dr. Vivian Oke - Research Participant and Founder (ELLES App) shared insights and reflections on the research findings.
Subsequently, a supplementary research piece of research on, ‘Resourcing girl- and youth-led sexual and reproductive health rights activism’ was launched in partnership with Plan International.
It was a beautiful and engaging discussion which led to wonderful connections for those working with and for girls. You can watch the recording here and learn more about AGIP’s research here.
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| | Welcoming AGIP’s Newest Members |
| This quarter, we were happy to onboard Action Aid UK as a new member to our coalition, and re-onboard FRIDA, who rejoined AGIP! It has been an exciting two weeks, engaging with our newest members who add a wealth of experience in the areas of research, advocacy and girl -and-youth engagement.
ActionAid UK is an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty. Their dedicated local staff are committed to changing the world with women and girls. The organization focuses on two key areas: Fighting Poverty and Ending Violence. ActionAid’s practical policies include initiatives such as education, training, and small loans. These efforts empower women and girls to invest in their futures, assert their rights, and become leaders of change within their communities.
FRIDA, also known as The Young Feminist Fund, is an organisation that believes in the collective power of young feminists to lead and transform their own communities. They are unique in that they are a fund run by young feminists to support and establish other emerging feminist organisations, collectives, and movements. FRIDA stands for Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe.
We look forward to a year of learning, growth and engagement with all our members.
Welcome to the AGIP space AAUK and FRIDA! |
| | Book Launch
In February 2024, the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) programme released ‘Young People in the Global South: Voice, Agency and Citizenship,’ a new textbook published by Routledge.
Edited by Kate Pincock (GAGE and University of Oxford), Nicola Jones (GAGE and ODI), Lorraine van Blerk (University of Dundee), and Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda (UN Women and Rosaria Memorial Trust), this book explores critical themes impacting young people in the global South. You can also review the launch webinar here for key findings from this book. Our colleague, Pooja Singh, contributed a chapter to this book titled ‘Reflections of a young feminist navigating the promise of sustainable development by world leaders’ . We invite you to explore the key findings and insights on young people’s voice, agency, and citizenship. You can watch the webinar launch here. |
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| Peace Sisters Progress
In 2023 Peace Sisters, who joined AGIP last quarter, made significant strides in expanding its impact and enhancing the quality of its programs in Togo, West Africa. In 2022, Peace Sisters' innovative approaches in the US Embassy funded tutoring program led to 45 young women passing the BAC-2 exam and continuing their education, with a total of 75 Peace Girls now pursuing higher education.
In 2023, Peace Sisters reached over 470 underprivileged girls in Dapaong, Togo, preventing them from discontinuing their studies and opening doors to increased opportunities, enhanced social mobility, economic growth, and reduced incidents of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
You can learn more about these achievements in the annual report here.
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