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| Girl-centred advocacy could protect 600 million girls from violence | Girl-centred advocacy could protect 600 million girls from violence |
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| At the end of May, 4,500 political leaders and practitioners from 149 countries convened in Malaysia at the Women Deliver conference, which highlighted adolescent girls as the key to advancing the post-2015 development agenda. | At the end of May, 4,500 political leaders and practitioners from 149 countries convened in Malaysia at the Women Deliver conference, which highlighted adolescent girls as the key to advancing the post-2015 development agenda. |
| Policymakers attending Women Deliver stressed the need to invest in girl-centred advocacy to improve girls' lives and achieve global development goals: "Girls need to be at the centre of the global development agenda. We need both stronger laws to protect girls, and greater political commitment to effective implementation," said the Canadian MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan. | Policymakers attending Women Deliver stressed the need to invest in girl-centred advocacy to improve girls' lives and achieve global development goals: "Girls need to be at the centre of the global development agenda. We need both stronger laws to protect girls, and greater political commitment to effective implementation," said the Canadian MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan. |
| Beyond political will, research presented at Women Deliver highlighted the importance of girl-centered advocacy to improve laws, policies, funding and programmes for adolescent girls. The Adolescent Girls' Advocacy & Leadership Initiative (Agali) of the Public Health Institute presented results from the programme's girl-centred advocacy model that improves girls' health, education, livelihoods, and rights in Africa and Latin America. With support from the United Nations Foundation, Agali has created a global movement of leaders advocating with and for girls – empowering girls to become leaders, mobilise their peers, and transform their communities. | Beyond political will, research presented at Women Deliver highlighted the importance of girl-centered advocacy to improve laws, policies, funding and programmes for adolescent girls. The Adolescent Girls' Advocacy & Leadership Initiative (Agali) of the Public Health Institute presented results from the programme's girl-centred advocacy model that improves girls' health, education, livelihoods, and rights in Africa and Latin America. With support from the United Nations Foundation, Agali has created a global movement of leaders advocating with and for girls – empowering girls to become leaders, mobilise their peers, and transform their communities. |
| Through Agali's model, girls strengthen their leadership capacity, conduct participatory needs assessments, and identify the factors that negatively affect their well-being, including harmful traditional practices, social norms, and weak policy frameworks. Girls then work with adult allies to advocate for their own solutions to the challenges they face, using community dialogue, media advocacy, and direct engagement with political decision-makers to transform their own lives and communities. | Through Agali's model, girls strengthen their leadership capacity, conduct participatory needs assessments, and identify the factors that negatively affect their well-being, including harmful traditional practices, social norms, and weak policy frameworks. Girls then work with adult allies to advocate for their own solutions to the challenges they face, using community dialogue, media advocacy, and direct engagement with political decision-makers to transform their own lives and communities. |
| Results have shown that the model has enabled girls to become community leaders and successfully advocate for passage and implementation of girl-friendly laws and policies. "Agali's girl-centred advocacy model has transformed the lives of millions of girls through new laws, improved policy implementation, and increased funding," said Kathy Calvin, the president and CEO of the UN Foundation. | Results have shown that the model has enabled girls to become community leaders and successfully advocate for passage and implementation of girl-friendly laws and policies. "Agali's girl-centred advocacy model has transformed the lives of millions of girls through new laws, improved policy implementation, and increased funding," said Kathy Calvin, the president and CEO of the UN Foundation. |
| Agali's model has generated important lessons that can be integrated into youth programmes, advocacy strategies, and broader development initiatives, including engaging adolescent girls in the democratic process as actors rather than beneficiaries, ensuring that local and national policy frameworks are responsive to girls' specific needs. | Agali's model has generated important lessons that can be integrated into youth programmes, advocacy strategies, and broader development initiatives, including engaging adolescent girls in the democratic process as actors rather than beneficiaries, ensuring that local and national policy frameworks are responsive to girls' specific needs. |
| Funding needs to be provided, as does capacity building and technical assistance to civil society organisations engaged in girl-centered advocacy is critical to achieving scale and sustainability. Individual mentoring enables girls to strengthen their own leadership and launch successful community-based advocacy initiatives. | Funding needs to be provided, as does capacity building and technical assistance to civil society organisations engaged in girl-centered advocacy is critical to achieving scale and sustainability. Individual mentoring enables girls to strengthen their own leadership and launch successful community-based advocacy initiatives. |
| However, girl-centred advocacy and systems change require long-term investment in girls' leadership and organisational development. Integrating 'gate-keepers' – parents, community and religious leaders, and other influential local people – is necessary to ensure the success of girl-centred advocacy efforts. | However, girl-centred advocacy and systems change require long-term investment in girls' leadership and organisational development. Integrating 'gate-keepers' – parents, community and religious leaders, and other influential local people – is necessary to ensure the success of girl-centred advocacy efforts. |
| Agali applied these lessons learned in Liberia, engaging girl leaders and youth parliamentarians in national advocacy efforts to pass a comprehensive children's law that specifically addresses girls' needs. By empowering adolescent girls to play a leading role in the advocacy campaign, Agali partners achieved landmark legislation that guarantees young people's right to education, health services, and protection from child marriage, violence, and harmful traditional practices. A video case study documenting how this successful girl-centred advocacy is transforming the lives of girls in Liberia can be found here. Agali has captured additional best practices in case studies, policy briefs, and other resources available. | Agali applied these lessons learned in Liberia, engaging girl leaders and youth parliamentarians in national advocacy efforts to pass a comprehensive children's law that specifically addresses girls' needs. By empowering adolescent girls to play a leading role in the advocacy campaign, Agali partners achieved landmark legislation that guarantees young people's right to education, health services, and protection from child marriage, violence, and harmful traditional practices. A video case study documenting how this successful girl-centred advocacy is transforming the lives of girls in Liberia can be found here. Agali has captured additional best practices in case studies, policy briefs, and other resources available. |
| Another example of this girl-centred advocacy model is Agali's partnership with the Girls' Empowerment Network (Genet), which is working to eradicate child marriage in Malawi, where almost half of girls are married before age 18. At Women Deliver, Genet co-founders Faith Phiri and Joyce Mkandawire presented results of their successful girl-led advocacy to end child marriage and the harmful traditional practices that contribute to Malawi's high rates of unwanted pregnancy, HIV/Aids, and maternal and infant mortality. Since Genet began partnering with Agali in 2011, girl leaders have advocated with village chiefs in 22 communities to create bylaws that outlaw child marriage and harmful traditional practices. | Another example of this girl-centred advocacy model is Agali's partnership with the Girls' Empowerment Network (Genet), which is working to eradicate child marriage in Malawi, where almost half of girls are married before age 18. At Women Deliver, Genet co-founders Faith Phiri and Joyce Mkandawire presented results of their successful girl-led advocacy to end child marriage and the harmful traditional practices that contribute to Malawi's high rates of unwanted pregnancy, HIV/Aids, and maternal and infant mortality. Since Genet began partnering with Agali in 2011, girl leaders have advocated with village chiefs in 22 communities to create bylaws that outlaw child marriage and harmful traditional practices. |
| "Through Agali, we developed new strategies to help girls advocate with community leaders," said Mkandawire. "Since Genet began working with Agali, we have seen no new child marriages take place in the communities where we work. The girls are bringing an end to child marriage." With support from Agali, Genet is also collaborating with Malawi's Adolescent Girls' Advocacy Network on a national advocacy campaign to increase the legal age of marriage from 15 to 18 years. Malawi's parliament is slated to vote on the proposed law later this year. | "Through Agali, we developed new strategies to help girls advocate with community leaders," said Mkandawire. "Since Genet began working with Agali, we have seen no new child marriages take place in the communities where we work. The girls are bringing an end to child marriage." With support from Agali, Genet is also collaborating with Malawi's Adolescent Girls' Advocacy Network on a national advocacy campaign to increase the legal age of marriage from 15 to 18 years. Malawi's parliament is slated to vote on the proposed law later this year. |
| Emmanualla Manjolo, a 13-year-old Malawian girl who is a leader in Genet's girl-led advocacy campaign, also spoke at the Women Deliver conference. "In my community, education of girls is not seen as an important thing. Marriage seems to be the only option, and girls are married as early as age ten," said Manjolo. | Emmanualla Manjolo, a 13-year-old Malawian girl who is a leader in Genet's girl-led advocacy campaign, also spoke at the Women Deliver conference. "In my community, education of girls is not seen as an important thing. Marriage seems to be the only option, and girls are married as early as age ten," said Manjolo. |
| "I sometimes wonder why the world is just silent and not doing anything to protect us girls as global citizens. Although the obstacles are great, I am now a leader in my school and community and I mobilise girls in my school to fight for their rights. We stand up and say no to child marriage, no to bad laws, and no to harmful practices." | "I sometimes wonder why the world is just silent and not doing anything to protect us girls as global citizens. Although the obstacles are great, I am now a leader in my school and community and I mobilise girls in my school to fight for their rights. We stand up and say no to child marriage, no to bad laws, and no to harmful practices." |
| Manjolo is right – the obstacles are great. But through girl-centered advocacy, the global community can ensure that 600 million adolescent girls around the world are protected from violence and early marriage, can get medical care when they need it, and have the chance to go to school and lift themselves out of poverty. And if the 4500 policymakers and practitioners who attended Women Deliver have the courage and vision of a 13-year-old girl from Malawi, we just might collectively be up for the challenge. | Manjolo is right – the obstacles are great. But through girl-centered advocacy, the global community can ensure that 600 million adolescent girls around the world are protected from violence and early marriage, can get medical care when they need it, and have the chance to go to school and lift themselves out of poverty. And if the 4500 policymakers and practitioners who attended Women Deliver have the courage and vision of a 13-year-old girl from Malawi, we just might collectively be up for the challenge. |
| Denise Raquel Dunning is professor of women's health and empowerment at the University of California, San Francisco and is director of Agali at the Public Health Institute | Denise Raquel Dunning is professor of women's health and empowerment at the University of California, San Francisco and is director of Agali at the Public Health Institute |
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