Governance and accountability
We believe in being open, honest and accountable with our partners, those we work with and the children and programme participants we serve.
About us
Launched by Plan International in August 2023, Global Girls Foundation aims to mobilise partnerships and resources to tackle gender inequality by empowering girls worldwide.
Headquartered in Zurich, the Global Girls Foundation connects and collaborates with global thought leaders and experts to influence social justice for girls. We are building and connecting an exclusive group of global changemakers to co-create solutions that advance girls’ rights.
Together, we create lasting change, not temporary solutions.
We do this by leveraging Plan’s 85 years’ experience of developing powerful, innovative and impactful solutions for and with girls and young people that can be scaled up quickly and contribute to social, gender, economic and climate justice.
We align our resources, expertise, and networks to amplify the impact and expand the reach of Plan’s programmes. Through our platforms we advocate for policy changes and increase the call for girls to exercise their rights.
Our focus is on girls in leadership, crisis, and innovation, and we seek to improve the lives of 200 million girls over the next 5 years.
Our mission
Our mission is to improve girls’ rights through increased access to education, leadership opportunities, and protection from exploitation, particularly in crisis situations.
We uphold the rights of girls to transform their futures. We want to see all girls standing strong creating global change and we will stand with them until we are all equal.
Together with partners and philanthropists across generations, we work with girls and support them to break down the barriers and discrimination they experience every minute, every hour, every day.
Unleashing the full potential of girls will fuel positive change, drive economic growth, nurture inclusive equal societies, and help shape a more peaceful world.
How we work
We focus on 3 main areas of impact through which we support girls to call for social justice and gender equality.
These are:
Girls in leadership
We support girls to gain the knowledge, tools and access to mentors they need to become leaders of change in their lives, communities and across the world.
Girls in crisis
We respond to girls’ specific needs and help them increase their resilience. We support them to play a leading role in their communities’ recovery.
Girls in innovation
We create opportunities for girls to engage in technology and innovation to close the digital gender divide so they can get good jobs or start businesses.
All our work also focuses on issues central to tackling the root causes of gender inequality:
- Climate change
- Sexual and reproductive health and rights
- Integrating young people’s voices into our development and operations
- Education
- Advocacy and girls’ and children’s rights
Where we work
As a Plan International foundation, we work where Plan works, with children and girls in over 80 countries to help create a world where we are all equal.
We connect philanthropists, thought leaders and global changemakers with Plan’s work.
How your partnership can have impact
Girls as climate change role models
“My own family has felt the effects of the changing climate. There is a need for young people to take part in addressing environmental issues.” Aires, 19, Philippines.
Aires is ensuring her community is prepared for weather-related emergencies and that young people have an active role in building community resilience.
In countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines, girls are leading school taskforces to better prepare for and respond to natural and climate-related disasters and increase climate change awareness.
With your support, this work can be expanded to deliver global impact.
Child-friendly spaces
“I like to draw and play with my friends. The staff at the centre help us develop our life skills.” Yordanos, 15, Tigray, Ethiopia.
Yordanos shares her favourite things to do at her local child-friendly space.
These spaces serve as safe havens where youth can gather, connect, and find support during times of crisis.
The growing number of humanitarian emergencies call for radical changes in the way which humanitarian relief and recovery efforts are carried out.
With your support, youth-friendly spaces can become integral to humanitarian response efforts globally.
For more information contact:
Lea Bachmann, Co-Managing Director Global Girls Foundation
Susanna Tornyay, Co-Managing Director Global Girls Foundation
Related pages
