The Issue: Adolescent Girls

Adolescence is a critical time to lay the foundation for healthy transitions into adulthood. When young women and men have access to an education, they are more likely to earn an income as adults. And when adolescent girls have the right to decide when to marry and have children, they are more likely to lead healthier, productive lives as adults.

Young people under 25 are the fastest growing portion of the population in developing countries, and their size is expected to swell over the next decade. Within that group, one person in eight is a girl or young woman. The reality for many of them is troubling. Consider:

• In many developing countries, girls are forced to marry shortly after puberty, often to much older men. In some cases, child brides are as young as 7 or 8.

• According to the United Nations, young women ages 15 to 24 make up 75 percent of youth infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, the region hardest hit by the epidemic.

• Girls spend less time in school than boys, and few girls living in poverty have a chance for an education at all. In rural communities, girls often are expected to carry out domestic duties, such as caring for younger siblings, tending to livestock and collecting firewood, which undermines their opportunities for education and employment.

• The World Health Organization estimates that nearly half of the sexual assaults worldwide are against girls ages 15 and younger.

Given that youth are such a rapid-growing demographic in developing countries, those nations’ economic fortitude depends in part on the contributions of young women and men. Adolescent girls’ education and overall well-being are essential to countries’ future economic development.

Our Role

ICRW has been examining the lives of adolescents – especially girls – for more than two decades. Our work focuses on improving their well-being and identifying ways to change deeply entrenched traditional practices that prevent girls from reaching their full potential. We believe that making the abilities, attitudes and options of adolescent girls and boys more equitable is one of the most effective ways to empower women. And our research shows that all aspects of young people’s lives – school, relationships, work and marriage – must be addressed to bring about lasting social change. Adolescent programs and policies require working with not only girls, but boys, parents, teachers, community members, leaders, schools and employers, too.