More About Our Work WITH Girls and women

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that gender equality is not only important to girls and women – it is critical to communities, economies, and societies. When girls and women are healthy and educated, their children and families prosper. Even one extra year of schooling beyond the average can increase women’s wages by about 10 percent, and studies suggest that raising the share of women with secondary education is linked to increases in economic growth. When women participate in the economy, poverty decreases and gross domestic product (GDP) grows. It is estimated that as much as $28 trillion, or 26 percent, could be added to the global GDP by 2025 if women played an identical role in formal labor markets to that of men.

We believe that a community can only reach its full potential by involving everyone in its social and economic life. That’s why our programs work to advance the rights and opportunities of girls and women in the United States and around the world. Our vision is a world where girls and women are equally represented in all sectors at all levels of leadership, and where every girl – no matter where she is born – has the chance to live up to her full potential.