World leaders have to deliver on commitments to invest in women’s health, girls’ education, and care responsibilities. More than $400 million is needed now to fund key international mechanisms to address girls' poverty and reach millions of young women in immediate need. We are calling on G7 leaders to commit to a package addressing immediate needs of $400 million while agreeing to a multi-year investment plan that will reach 50 million adolescent girls.

Here are 10 facts that prove we need to support adolescent girls NOW.

  1.  129 million girls remain out of school worldwide.
  2. Of the 811 million people who are food insecure around the world, nearly 60% are women and girls.
  3. Millions of girls and women affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are experiencing a lack of access to sexual and reproductive health care.
  4. More than 12 million women lost access to family planning services in 2020.
  5. There are approximately 4.3 billion people of reproductive age who will lack at least one essential sexual or reproductive health service throughout their reproductive life.
  6. Half of the pregnancies among adolescent girls years in developing regions are estimated to be unintended.
  7. More than 31 million girls are out of secondary school in sub-Saharan Africa, many due to early marriage and teenage pregnancy.
  8. Some 3.9 million unsafe abortions occur each year to adolescent girls in developing regions.
  9. A global COVID-19 recovery that centers on women and girls could prevent 47 million more women and girls from falling into extreme poverty.
  10. Women and girls are performing more unpaid care work than ever.
  11. More than 40% of the world’s girls and boys under school age do not have regular access to quality care.

Read the full article about supporting adolescent girls by Leah Rodriguez at Global Citizen.