Adolescent girls' activists rally for inclusion, funding to drive global change

With 1.8 billion adolescents and youth worldwide, representing the largest population in history, various activists dedicated to supporting adolescent girls recognize the urgent need to address the challenges faced by this demographic, particularly girls and women who confront adversity. However, progress has been impeded by fragmented support from different stakeholders. ALSO READ: Empowering young girls to fight for their rights Efforts to tackle these challenges take center stage at the Girls Deliver: Pre-Conference on Adolescent Girls, led by the Population Council's Girl Center. Part of the Women Deliver initiative, the Pre-Conference aims to create a dedicated space for multi-sectoral conversations that elevate the voices of adolescents and engage stakeholders from low- and middle-income countries. It seeks to foster solidarity within the community and drive evidence-based solutions. During the opening session of the conference on July 16, climate justice activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Vanessa Nakate emphasized the need for a transformative approach to address the challenges faced by adolescent girls. Nakate stressed the importance of implementing large-scale, multi-sector initiatives that prioritize the needs of girls. She advocated for placing girls' voices, agency, and leadership at the forefront of efforts undertaken by both public and private sectors. ALSO READ: Six key things to know about Women Deliver Conference Nakate further called upon the international community to commit to a new investment of USD 1 billion specifically dedicated to multi-sector programs benefiting adolescent girls by 2025. She pointed out the significance of increasing public finance commitments by national policymakers, highlighting the gravity of the challenges faced by adolescent girls and acknowledging the immense potential that investing in their well-being represents. In line with this, Nakate also urged for greater allocation of resources to support girl-led groups. Girls' rights have been silenced, including in spaces for women and children, but not today, and not by us, she concluded. VOX-POP: International students on being a woman in Rwanda During a fireside chat at the conference, Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Co-Founder of Malala Fund, emphasized that in activism, nobody can tell the story better than the person who has experienced the challenges firsthand. She noted that adolescent girls must lead the activism efforts to address the issues they face and determine the necessary actions to overcome them. Regardless of their country of origin, Malala highlighted that many issues affecting adolescent girls are universal, such as the lack of funding and harmful social norms like misogyny and patriarchy. In this context, she called for collective efforts and urged everyone to join hands in supporting these young advocates. Malala encouraged young girls not to lose sight of their determination and optimism as they grow older. Condolizzarice Akumawah, an adolescent advocate from Cameroon, pointed out the prevalent issue of sexual violence faced by girls in her country, which exposes them to the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Additionally, she highlighted the lack of sexual and reproductive health services, leading to unwanted pregnancies. Akumawah called upon adults to break the stigma around sex education and stressed the importance of open communication between parents and their children on this subject. She noted that adolescent girls should actively participate in decision-making processes as they possess ideas that can bring about positive change. Despite their lack of experience, she added that they need the guidance and support of adults to help them progress toward a better future. Kalpa Garg, an adolescent leader from India, highlighted the lack of inclusion for girls and the urgent need for increased capacity-building initiatives targeting adolescent girls. She declared that these efforts are vital for empowering girls to engage effectively in activism and drive positive change. Moreover, she called for an integrated approach to address the issues faced by adolescent girls, which can contribute to enhancing the quality of their lives.