Gender inequality, reinforced by systems of oppression around the globe, perpetuates gender discrimination, violence, and systemic neglect. These structural forces are especially pronounced in communities with multiple marginalized social identities, particularly women of color, adolescents, Indigenous people, migrants, people with disabilities, gender minorities, LGBT people, and people affected by armed conflict and mass atrocities. The world lacks basic data related to these communities’ health, safety, wellbeing, and socioeconomic status, and evidence on what works to disrupt entrenched gender systems. The Population Council collaborates with locally rooted organizations, communities, and governments using context-relevant surveys, collects rigorous data, and creates evidence-based solutions.
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Submissions from 2025
Africa Regional Report—Pathways to Prosperity for Adolescent Girls in Africa: Kenya Focus, Evalin Karijo and Estelle Koussoubé
Ampliando el ecosistema de Abriendo Oportunidades®: Enfoque en la Escuela de Oportunidades, Population Council
Ampliando el ecosistema de Abriendo Oportunidades®: Enfoque en las redes de mentoras, Population Council
Ampliando el ecosistema de Abriendo Oportunidades®: Equipando a jóvenes mentoras con habilidades y recursos para ampliar la programación centrada en las niñas en Belice, Population Council
Ampliando el ecosistema de Abriendo Oportunidades®: Sembrando semillas de cambio dentro de los sistemas de gobierno, Population Council
Applying Global Evidence to Foster Young People’s Thriving in the US: A Framework for Action, Miriam Temin and Sanyukta Mathur
Building a rights-based approach to nutrition for women and children: Harnessing the potential of women’s groups and rights-based organizations in South Asia, Monica Shrivastav, Vani Sethi, Avishek Hazra, Zivai Murira, Roopal Jyoti Singh, Krishna Wagh, Anuradha Nair, Veronica Kamanga Njikho, and Sapna Desai
Celebrating 20 Years of Abriendo Oportunidades: Transforming the Lives of Indigenous Girls in Guatemala, María Isabel Mayorga
Climate change and mental health among young people, Population Council
Climate change and sexual and reproductive health, Population Council
Donor Roundtable—Sustaining Progress: Investing in adolescent girls amidst global challenges, Coalition for Adolescent Girls
Encuentros entre feministas jóvenes organizadas y actores clave: tensiones, financiamiento y supervivencia, Anel Bobadilla, Paulina Márquez, Esperanza Basurto, Natalia Tenorio, Sonia Cruz, and Ricardo Regules
Evaluation of the NISITU Program: A quasi-experimental study to determine the effect of a gender attitudes and gender-based violence program for adolescents in Nairobi, Kenya, Karen Austrian and Beth Kangwana
Experiences of childhood violence and violence perpetration and the association with inequitable gender norms and violence justification in humanitarian settings in Uganda, Peter Kisaakye, Stella Muthuri, George Odwe, Caroline W. Kabiru, Dagim Habteyesus, Yadeta Dessie, Yohannes Dibaba Wado, Bonnie Wandera, Gloria Seruwagi, Francis Obare, and Chi-Chi Undie
Exploring the intersection of young men's mobile-internet use, gender attitudes and intimate relationship dynamics: A mixed-methods study, Julie Pulerwitz, Pamela Keilig, Cherie Cawood, David Khanyile, Bhekumusa Lukhele, and Ann Gottert
GIRL Center special feature: 2024 impact report, GIRL Center
Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center: Innovation Hub Overview 2025, Population Council
Growing the Abriendo Oportunidades® Ecosystem: Equipping young mentors with skills and resources to expand girl-centered programming in Belize, Population Council
Growing the Abriendo Oportunidades® Ecosystem: Sowing seeds of change within government systems, Population Council
Growing the Abriendo Oportunidades® Ecosystem: Spotlight on Escuela de Oportunidades, Population Council
Growing the Abriendo Oportunidades® Ecosystem: Spotlight on mentor networks, Population Council
Jóvenes feministas en Yucatán: estudio de caso, Natalia Tenorio, Sonia Cruz, Esperanza Basurto, Anel Bobadilla, Paulina Márquez, and Ricardo Regules
La vida social del programa Abriendo Oportunidades® en Guatemala: Tres décadas habilitando espacios comunitarios y cívicos para niñas y mujeres indígenas, Population Council
Pathways to prosperity for adolescent girls in Kenya, World Bank Group, Center for Global Development, and Population Council
Schooling and intimate partner violence: Retrospective analysis of India’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan using quasi-experimental techniques, Arindam Nandi, Nicole Haberland, Meredith L. Kozak, Fatima Zahra, and Thoai Ngo
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in climate policies and frameworks, Regenerate Africa, Population Council, MSI Reproductive Choices, and Margaret Pyke Trust
Sustaining Progress—Investing in Adolescent Girls Amidst Global Challenges: Learnings from a donor roundtable, Coalition for Adolescent Girls and Akili Dada
Sustaining progress: Investing in adolescent girls amidst global challenges—Slide deck, Coalition for Adolescent Girls
Tensions, funding, and sustainability: Young feminist organizing’s relations with donors and key stakeholders, Anel Bobadilla, Paulina Márquez, Esperanza Basurto, Natalia Tenorio, Sonia Cruz, and Ricardo Regules
The intersections of climate change, gender, migration, and sexual and reproductive health in Sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review, Tariku Shimels, Zewdneh Shewamene, Dagim Habteyesus, Abraham Fessehaye Sium, and Getachew Teshome
The Realities of Unstoppable Humans—Nawiri Project Dissemination Podcast Series, Feminist For Peace Rights and Justice Centre
The social life of the Abriendo Oportunidades® Program in Guatemala: Three decades of enabling community and civic spaces for Indigenous girls and women, Population Council
Why the world’s adolescent girls need our support, Karen Austrian and Evalin Karijo
Women’s empowerment and contraception in low- and middle-income countries, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy and Zeba Sathar
Young Feminist Organizing fanzine—Defender, insistir y resistir desde el territorio, Feministas Jóvenes Organizadas
Young Feminist Organizing fanzine—To defend, to insist and to resist from the territory, Feministas Jóvenes Organizadas
Young feminist organizing in the state of Yucatán, Mexico: A case study, Natalia Tenorio, Sonia Cruz, Esperanza Basurto, Anel Bobadilla, Paulina Márquez, and Ricardo Regules
Submissions from 2024
Abriendo Oportunidades—Community-based group mentoring to promote indigenous adolescent girls’ well-being: Impact findings from a cluster-RCT in Guatemala, Kelly Hallman, Angel del Valle, Alejandra Aponte, Alejandra Colom, Elizabeth Vásquez, Sarah Blake, and Corinne White
Access to transition-related health care among transmasculine people in India: A mixed-methods investigation, Venkatesan Chakrapani, Heather Santos, Madhusudana Battala, Shaman Gupta, Satvik Sharma, Aditya Batavia, Sahil Jamal Siddiqui, Kelly A. Courts, and Ayden I. Scheim
Adolescent Girls Initiative–Kenya: Testing for Scale—Recommendations Report, Karen Austrian, Eva Ireri Muluve, Ruth Nanjekho, John A. Maluccio, and Erica Soler-Hampejsek
Assessing the impact of CHARM2, a family planning program on gender attitudes, intimate partner violence, reproductive coercion, and marital quality in India, Sangeeta Chatterji, Nicole E. Johns, Mohan Ghule, Shahina Begum, Sarah Averbach, Madhusudana Battala, and Anita Raj
Between worlds: Cis-and trans-identifying diaspora Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) women in Ontario, Canada on the intersections of gender, sexuality and sexual health, Roula Kteily-Hawa, Olesya Falenchuk, Bessma Momani, Vijaya Chikermane, Susan Bartels, Praney Anand, Rania Younes, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Nadia N. Abuelezam, Lina Hammad, Tina Pahlevan, Rama Eloulabi, Ahmad Ezzeddine, Anmar Al-Ezzawi, Mohammad Akel, and Mona Loutfy
Beyond Women: The Urgent Need to Address Adolescent Girls in the Care Economy, Maimouna Bah
Building resilience among adolescent girls in the Sahel: Regional summary report of a mixed-methods participatory research, Sarah Engebretsen and Karen Austrian
Community-based Adolescent Girl Programming in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Balancing Act Between Scale and Quality, Miriam Temin and Angel del Valle
Conclusions: Pathways to Prosperity for Adolescent Girls in Africa, Kehinde Ajayi, Estelle Koussoubé, and Fatima Zahra
Construire la résilience des adolescentes au Sahel : Rapport de synthèse régional d’une recherche participative à méthodes mixtes, Sarah Engebretsen and Karen Austrian
Creating a Sustainable Platform for Indigenous Girls’ and Women’s Empowerment, Population Council
Curriculum development for safe spaces, Population Council and SWEDD
Do adolescent girls’ education and friendships have independent effects on early pregnancy? Results of a mediation analysis from a longitudinal cohort study in Nairobi, Kenya, Christina Misunas, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Beth Kangwana, and Nicole Haberland
Ending child marriage in Zambia: Implications and considerations for accelerating progress in the context of Zambia’s Marriage (Amendment) Act No. 13 of 2023, Population Council
Examining the association between men's gender equitable attitudes and contraceptive outcomes in rural Maharashtra, India, Mohan Ghule, Anvita Dixit, Nicole Johns, Madhusudana Battala, Shahina Begum, Sarah Averbach, Jay G. Silverman, Niranjan Saggurti, and Anita Raj
Extreme heat and domestic violence in Mexico, Ricardo Regules-García, Jessie Pinchoff, Ana Ruth Escoto Castillo, and Ana Cristina Gómez-Ugarte
Gender and education evidence in Kenya, Lina López-Lalinde, Meredith L. Kozak, Eva Ireri Muluve, and Ruth Nanjekho Wafubwa
Gender and education in Kenya, Lina López-Lalinde, Meredith L. Kozak, Eva Ireri Muluve, and Ruth Nanjekho Wafubwa
Gender and education practice in Kenya, Meredith Kozak, Eva Ireri Muluve, Ruth Nanjekho Wafubwa, and Lina López-Lalinde
Gendered socio-economic and mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among adults living in selected informal settlements in Kenya: An intersectional analysis, Daniel Mwanga, Henry Owoko Odero, Damazo T. Kadengye, Sally Atieno Odunga, Eva Ireri Muluve, Bylhah Mugotitsa, Ruth Nanjekho Wafubwa, Karen Austrian, and Sylvia Kiwuwa-Muyingo
Girls Deliver Workshop on the Sidelines of CSW68, Population Council
Girls First Fund: External evaluation, Brian Medina Carranza, Dela Nai, Neelanjana Pandey, Grace Saul, Angel del Valle, and Fatima Zahra
Impact of DREAMS interventions on attitudes towards gender norms among adolescent girls and young women: Findings from a prospective cohort in Kenya, Kate Andrews Nelson, Faith Magut, Sarah Mulwa, Jane Osindo, Vivienne Kamire, Sammy Khagayi, Julie Pulerwitz, Sarah Cook, Annabelle Gourlay, Abdhalah Ziraba, Daniel Kwaro, Sian Floyd, and Isolde Birdthistle
In spite of patriarchy: Pathways from school to wage work and careers among adolescent girls in Bihar, Orlanda Ruthven, Anupam Sharma, Bishwajit Mukherjee, Shamayita Das, Aparajita Gogoi, Madhu Joshi, and Sohini Paul
Integrating mental health management into empowerment group sessions for out-of-school adolescents in Kenyan informal settlements: A process paper, Joan Mutahi, Beth Kangwana, Dorcas Khasowa, Irene Muthoni, Oliver Charo, Alfred Muli, and Manasi Kumar
Intersectionality, gender norms, and young adolescents in context: A review of longitudinal multicountry research programmes to shape future action, Prerna Banati, Nicola Jones, Caroline Moreau, Kristin Mmari, Anna Kagesten, Karen Austrian, and Rebecka Lundgren
Introduction: Pathways to Prosperity for Adolescent Girls in Africa, Estelle Koussoubé, Kehinde Ajayi, and Fatima Zahra
Leaving No One Behind: Fulfilling the Promise of Education for Pregnant and Parenting Girls in sub-Saharan Africa, Maimouna Bah and George Odwe
Le développement curriculaire pour les espaces sûrs, Population Council and SWEDD
Les espaces sûrs, Population Council and SWEDD
Le soutien à la scolarisation des filles et leur maintien à l’école, Population Council and SWEDD
Missing voices: Girls in the care economy—Slide deck, Annabel Erulkar, Maimouna Bah, Edith Murogo, Winnie Nelima, Amar Nijhawan, and Chiku Semfuko
Power, practice, and potential: Social protection and adolescent girls, GIRL Center, Cash Transfer and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Research Collaborative, and UNICEF
Power, Practice and Potential: Social Protection and Adolescent Girls—Event on the sidelines of CSW68, GIRL Center, Cash Transfer and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Research Collaborative, and UNICEF
Power, Practice and Potential: Social Protection and Adolescent Girls—Slide deck, GIRL Center, Cash Transfer and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Research Collaborative, and UNICEF
Power, Voice, and Agency: Empowering Adolescent Girls and Young Women through Multiple Interventions for Evidence-Informed Contraceptive Decisions, Evalin Karijo, Karen Austrian, Miriam Temin, and Mame Soukeye Mbaye
Quality implementation of safe spaces programs, Karen Austrian and Sara Troiano
Reclaiming African leadership to end FGM/C, Maimouna Bah
Reducing stigma and promoting HIV wellness/mental health of sexual and gender minorities: RCT results from a group-based programme in Nigeria, Julie Pulerwitz, Ann Gottert, Waimar Tun, Anita Fernandez Eromhonsele, Progress Lanre Oladimeji, Elizabeth Shoyemi, Mauton Akoro, Columbus Ndeloa, and Adebola A. Adedimeji
Revisiting women's empowerment and contraception, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy and Zeba Sathar
Safe, Empowered Tech for Adolescents: A Framework for Research and Action, Miriam Temin and Evalin Karijo
Safe spaces, Population Council and SWEDD
Schooling and Evidence-based Interventions for Adolescents and Young Girls in the Sahel, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Miriam Temin, and Sharon Nashipae
Selam Medirashachin (Safe Arrival) Project: Addressing the risk of trafficking, violence, and sexual abuse among newly arriving migrant girls in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar and Eyasu Hailu
Support for girls’ education and keeping them in school, Population Council and SWEDD
The challenges of measuring girls' empowerment, Henrietta Asiamah, Estelle Koussoubé, and Fatima Zahra
The Girl Agenda Cannot Wait! Collaboration and Multi-Dimensional Investments Needed for Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment, Evalin Karijo and Karen Austrian
The state of gender and education needs in Kenya: The missing step toward gender equity, Lina López-Lalinde, Meredith Kozak, Eva Ireri Muluve, Ruth Nanjekho Wafubwa, and Erica Soler-Hampejsek
Understanding the education profiles of eight Latin American countries, GIRL Center
Understanding the education profiles of seven East and Southern African countries, GIRL Center
Using opinion polls and vignettes to generate robust data to measure public opinion/attitudes on female genital mutilation in Isiolo County, Kenya: A pilot study, Dennis Matanda, Francis Obare, Stephen Kizito, and Chi-Chi Undie
Webinar—Missing voices: Girls in the care economy, Annabel Erulkar, Maimouna Bah, Edith Murogo, Winnie Nelima, Amar Nijhawan, and Chiku Semfuko
Webinar—Voces perdidas: Niñas en la economía del cuidado, Annabel Erulkar, Maimouna Bah, Edith Murogo, Winnie Nelima, Amar Nijhawan, and Chiku Semfuko
Webinar—Voix oubliées: Les adolescentes dans l'économie du care, Annabel Erulkar, Maimouna Bah, Edith Murogo, Winnie Nelima, Amar Nijhawan, and Chiku Semfuko
What does adolescent girls' empowerment mean?, Fatima Zahra, Kehinde Ajayi, Henrietta Asiamah, and Estelle Koussoubé
What do we know about improving human capital fundamentals among adolescent girls in Africa?, Ioana Botea, Kehinde Ajayi, Karen Austrian, Chiara Pasquini, and Sara Troiano
Women’s access to safe abortion and postabortion care services in Pakistan: The role of gender and related factors, Iram Kamran and Ali M. Mir
Young Feminist Organizing (YFO) Project video—Nawiri: Impact of YFOs, Population Council Kenya
Young Feminist Organizing (YFO) Project video—Nawiri: Who and Why, Population Council Kenya
Submissions from 2023
Accidental traffickers: Qualitative findings on labour recruitment in Ethiopia, Joanna Busza, Zewdneh Shewamene, Cathy Zimmerman, Annabel Erulkar, Eyasu Hailu, Lemi Negeri, Elizabeth Anderson, and Yuki Lo
Adaptation in Crisis: Understanding and Addressing the Needs of Adolescent Girls in Humanitarian Emergency Settings, Population Council
Adolescent girls’ agency and their labour force participation: Experimental evidence from rural Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin and Momoe Makino