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Our work with girls

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Girls are leading change. Girls know what their lives need. Our role is to listen, support and work alongside them to remove the barriers standing in their way. Across every program and partnership, girls are not just participants in our work. They help shape it.

Why girls?

Girls face some of the most persistent and intersecting barriers to equality. From being pushed out of school to facing violence, early marriage or limited economic opportunity, their rights are too often denied simply because of who they are.

When girls have the support they need to learn, lead and make decisions about their own lives, the impact reaches far beyond the individual. Families are stronger. Communities are healthier. Systems begin to change.

Thatā€™s why girls are at the center of everything we do.

Our GirlEngage approach

GirlEngage is our approach to working with girls as partners and leaders. Girls help design, lead and evaluate programs that affect their lives, ensuring solutions reflect their real experiences and priorities.

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What GirlEngage looks like in practice

Through GirlEngage, girls are involved at every stage of our work. They identify challenges, shape solutions and measure success. We work within the full ecosystem around girls, including families, schools, communities and institutions, to shift power and create lasting change.

This approach recognizes the whole girl. Her identity, experiences and aspirations matter. And the best experts on what girls need are girls themselves.

Beyond program

Our work with girls goes beyond individual projects. We advocate for policy change, support youth-led movements and mobilize global moments like International Day of the Girl to shift attitudes and systems that hold girls back.

We believe progress happens when girls are trusted as leaders and decision-makers, not just for one moment, but for the long-term.

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Our focus

Economic empowerment
Education & early childhood development
Health, nutrition & water, sanitation & hygiene
Humanitarian assistance
Protection
Sexual & reproductive health & rights

Girls leading change

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Youth advocacy programs

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Youth at Plan

Girls face barriers every day ā€” but theyā€™re not waiting for change, theyā€™re leading it. We support young people, domestically and internationally, as they lead change in their communities. We are investing in the next generation of young changemakers and advocates. Because young people are not just the future ā€“ they are the leaders of today.

Why does Plan engage with young people?

We believe young people are central to achieving lasting social change. Young people are not just beneficiaries. Theyā€™re leaders, experts and partners in shaping the solutions for a better world.

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Youth Advisory Board

The Youth Advisory Board is a body of young people ages 14-22 from across the U.S. They ensure youth voices, perspectives and needs are represented authentically. The Youth Advisory Board are ambassadors of Planā€™s global mission, advancing diverse perspectives and ensuring the agency of youth in building a better world.

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Youth Leadership Academy

Plan Internationalā€™s Youth Leadership Academy gives young people the tools they need to create the change they want. This is a year-long social impact fellowship by youth, for youth, hosted by the Youth Advisory Board. Throughout the fellowship, each participant will ideate, design and implement their own local leadership project.

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Menstrual Health Day

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Periods should never stand in the way

Every year on May 28, we mark Menstrual Health Day, a global reminder that no one should be held back, excluded or shamed because of their period.

At Plan, we know periods arenā€™t just a health issue. They are a barrier to equality. Around the world, girls and young women miss school, face stigma and struggle to access basic supplies simply because of menstruation. Thatā€™s why weā€™re working to change both the story and the systems behind it.

Multigenerational group of women holding feminine products in support of Menstrual Health Day

Beyond a single day

Through our partnership with KotexĀ® and the Kimberly-Clark Foundation, weā€™ve reached more than 11 million people with menstrual health education, resources and support across eight countries. From classroom learning to peer-led community programs that include boys and parents, our work helps ensure girls have the knowledge, tools and confidence to manage their periods with dignity.

While May 28 is an important moment, our commitment goes beyond a single day. We work year-round to support girlsā€™ education, advance gender equality and help create environments where periods never stand in the way of opportunity.

Because when girls can learn, speak up and move through the world without shame, progress follows.

Menstrual Health Day stories

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Across generations ā€“ periods through the ages

May 14, 2025

From El Salvador to Togo, grandmothers, mothers and daughters are speaking openly about periods ā€” many for the first time. These intergenerational conversations are breaking taboos, building understanding and helping girls navigate their menstrual health with dignity.

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International Womenā€™s Day

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Progress worth celebrating

Every year on March 8, we mark International Womenā€™s Day, a moment to celebrate how far weā€™ve come and to be clear about how far we still have to go.

At Plan, International Womenā€™s Day connects us to a legacy more than a century in the making, and to the girls who will shape what comes next. What began as women organizing for labor rights, suffrage and equality has grown into a global movement that challenges the systems that continue to hold women and girls back.

For us, that connection is clear. The barriers adult women face do not begin in adulthood. They take root early, when girls are denied education, pushed into early marriage, excluded from leadership or exposed to violence simply because of their gender.

The Girl in the Red Tie

Equality is not a moment, but a movement

Each year on March 8, we use International Womenā€™s Day to elevate the voices and leadership of girls alongside women. We spotlight the political, cultural, social and economic contributions of women worldwide while naming the inequities that girls continue to experience: from unequal access to education and health care to gender-based violence, exploitation and harmful norms.

We mark the day through an annual awareness campaign that centers girlsā€™ rights, shares stories of leadership and resilience across generations and calls attention to the changes needed to ensure every girl can grow up safe, educated and able to lead.

Progress for women is not possible without justice for girls.

International Womenā€™s Day stories

What the research shows

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10 lessons from Nepalā€™s PROTECT Project

Dec 17, 2024

By fusing the power of senior leadership and budgets with the insights of policy and learning, the new Bureau of Policy, Resources, and Performance has the potential to become USAIDā€™s powerhouse for program effectiveness.

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International Day of the Girl

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When girls lead, communities rise

Every year on October 11, we mark International Day of the Girl, a moment thatā€™s especially meaningful to us at Plan because we helped bring it to life. In 2011, our global advocacy, led in partnership with girls, helped secure United Nations recognition of this day.

International Day of the Girl grew from a simple and urgent truth. Girls face unique barriers simply for being young and female. Limited access to education, poor menstrual health resources and unsafe environments too often stand in the way of their ability to reach their full potential.

This day is about changing that.

International Day of the Girl stories

Because when girls lead, lasting change follows.

Through our annual campaigns and activations like Girl Takeovers, girls around the world step into positions of influence across government, media, and business. They speak up, lead boldly and show whatā€™s possible when their voices are heard. These takeovers go beyond symbolism. They open doors to real decision-making spaces and challenge those in power to see leadership differently.

While October 11 is a key moment, our work continues year-round. We work alongside girls and communities to advance child protection, strengthen community development, and help build systems where all young people have equal access to opportunity.

International Day of the Girl stories

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Our initiatives

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Moments that move the world forward

We mobilize around key global moments to raise awareness, shift systems, and push for progress on issues that affect girls and women worldwide. These initiatives help focus attention, elevate voices and turn shared momentum into action that lasts beyond a single day.

International Day of the Girl

International Day of the Girl

October 11

A global moment to celebrate girlsā€™ leadership and highlight the barriers that stand in the way of their ability to thrive.

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Hero International Womenā€™s Day

International Womenā€™s Day

March 8

A global day to celebrate womenā€™s achievements and accelerate progress on the issues that affect girlsā€™ rights and opportunities.

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Menstrual Health Day

Menstrual Health Day

May 28
A global reminder that no one should be held back or shamed because of their period.
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Health, nutrition & WASH

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Every girl deserves to grow up healthy ā€” but for millions, that basic expectation remains out of reach. We work to change that, making sure girls and young women can access the health services, nutrition and basic support they need to survive, develop and thrive at every stage of their lives.

In 2025ā€¦

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The challenges

For too many girls, the barriers to good health start early and compound over time. Mothers and babies often lack access to basic care before, during and after birth. Young people ā€” especially girls ā€” struggle to access mental health support, even as the pressures they face continue to grow. Malnutrition affects millions of children, limiting not just their physical health but their ability to learn and develop. And in too many communities, the simple basics of clean water and safe toilets remain unavailable ā€” a problem that has an outsized impact on girls and women, particularly during menstruation and pregnancy.

Our work

We work to make existing health systems better and more accessible for girls and young women. That means supporting mothers to access antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care. We also prioritize mental health and psychosocial support for young people, particularly in crisis settings. Weā€™re working to improve nutrition through education, support for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and sustainable agriculture practices that improve food security.

Increasing access to clean water and safe sanitation is also essential. We work to make sure that schools, health facilities and communities have the WASH ā€” water, sanitation and hygiene ā€” infrastructure girls need ā€” because a girl without clean water at home or a safe toilet at school faces barriers that go far beyond hygiene ā€” it impacts whether she stays in school, stays healthy and feels safe.

Putting girls and young people at the center

Across our health work, we make sure girls and young people have a say in improving the services and systems that affect them, because young people know what they need better than anyone else. And as climate change increasingly threatens health systems and food security, we build resilience into everything we do ā€” so that communities are better prepared for the challenges ahead.

How you can help

Give to Plan

Our global programs are made possible by donors who believe in building a world where we are all equal. Explore ways to join our mission as a donor.

Learn more
Work with us

We work with partners around the world, from local community groups to global organizations. If you share our belief that every girl deserves the chance to fulfill her potential ā€” we’d love to hear from you.

Learn more

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Economic empowerment

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Economic independence changes everything for a girl. When young women can earn a living, manage their finances, and make their own choices, they are safer, healthier, and better able to shape their own futures. Yet across the world young people, especially girls, face barriers to economic participation. They are expected to shoulder the burden of unpaid care and domestic work and face discrimination that locks them out of jobs, finance and opportunity. We work to change that.

In 2025...

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people accessed economic empowerment programming
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girls improved work-related skills
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The challenges

For millions of young women, the path to economic independence is blocked at every turn. Harmful gender norms mean that girls are often pulled out of education early to care for families, leaving them without the skills or qualifications to access decent work. Many have no access to savings, credit or financial services. Others live in communities where women owning a business or earning their own income is actively discouraged. And as climate change disrupts livelihoods and food systems, it is women and girls who are hit hardest and have the least support to recover.

What we do

We work with young women to build the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to access economic opportunities and make informed decisions about their own lives. That includes financial education and literacy, access to savings and loan groups and linking young women to finance and business support services that are designed with their needs in mind.

We also work to improve household food security ā€” because when families have stable incomes, they can access the safe and nutritious food they need. Recognizing that climate change is increasingly threatening livelihoods, we support women-led climate resilience efforts and create pathways into green jobs and green skills, making sure young women are part of the transition to a more sustainable economy.

Putting girls and young people at the center

None of this works without tackling the deeper norms and systems that hold girls and young people back. Thatā€™s why we work alongside communities, governments and partners to challenge the attitudes and policies that limit young peopleā€™s economic participation ā€” because supporting individual girls only goes so far; the world around them must change too.

How you can help

Give to Plan

Our global programs are made possible by donors who believe in building a world where we are all equal. Explore ways to join our mission as a donor.

Learn more
Work with us

We work with partners around the world, from local community groups to global organizations. If you share our belief that every girl deserves the chance to fulfill her potential ā€” we’d love to hear from you.

Learn more

Read more

Frank Manfredi headshot