The Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center is a global research hub of the Population Council that generates, synthesizes, and translates evidence to transform the lives of adolescent girls. Through rigorous research about what works—and what doesn’t—we can better direct limited resources to support evidence-based solutions that improve girls’ lives. These briefs present the latest evidence on issues of critical importance and recommend future directions for research, policies, and programs.
For highlights of the Council’s groundbreaking work on adolescents, explore the Adolescent Programming Resources Hub.
Submissions from 2026
Accelerating adolescent girls’ education in West and Central Africa, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Accelerating progress for adolescent girls in humanitarian settings in West and Central Africa, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Accélérer le changement pour les adolescentes d’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre grâce à l’autonomisation économique, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Accélérer l’éducation des adolescentes en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Accélérer les progrès pour les adolescentes dans les contextes humanitaires en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Adolescentes en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre : trajectoires, risques et leviers de changement, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Amplifying change for adolescent girls in West and Central Africa through economic empowerment, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Changement climatique et adolescentes en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre : vers une réponse centrée sur les filles, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Climate change and adolescent girls in West and Central Africa: Building a girl-intentional response, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Intentional investment in adolescent girls in the digital space in West and Central Africa, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Investissement ciblé en faveur des adolescentes dans l’espace numérique en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Promoting adolescent girls’ mental health and resilience in West and Central Africa, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Promouvoir la santé mentale et la résilience des adolescentes en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Transformer la santé et les droits sexuels et reproductifs des adolescentes en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Transforming sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls in West and Central Africa, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Transforming the lives of adolescent girls in West and Central Africa, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, and Karen Austrian
Submissions from 2024
Understanding the education profiles of eight Latin American countries, GIRL Center
Understanding the education profiles of seven East and Southern African countries, GIRL Center
Submissions from 2023
Mentoring in group-based adolescent girl programs in low- and middle-income countries: Evidence-informed approaches, Miriam Temin, Sarah Blake, and Eva Roca
Submissions from 2022
Gendered effects of COVID-19 school closures: Bangladesh case study, Eashita Haque, Natalie Wyss, Emily EunYoung Cho, and Karen Austrian
Gendered effects of COVID-19 school closures: Pakistan case study, Iram Kamran, Tahira Parveen, Rehan M. Niazi, Maqsood Sadiq, Fatima Azeem, Emily EunYoung Cho, and Karen Austrian
Gendered effects of COVID-19 school closures: Kenya case study, Faith Mbushi, Natalie Wyss, Emily EunYoung Cho, Karen Austrian, Eva Ireri Muluve, Laura Muthoni, and Beth Kangwana
Gendered effects of COVID-19 school closures: India case study, Neelanjana Pandey, Emily EunYoung Cho, Shilpi Rampal, and Karen Austrian
Learnings from past interventions in the digital era: Evidence-based considerations for adolescents’ programming using information and communication technologies, Grace Saul and Waimar Tun
Submissions from 2021
Harnessing data to end child marriage: Summarizing learnings to-date, Stephanie Psaki, Momoe Makino, Christina Misunas, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, and Fatima Zahra
Conceptual framework of the drivers of child marriage: A tool to guide programs and policies, Stephanie Psaki, Andrea J. Melnikas, Eashita Haque, Grace Saul, Christina Misunas, Sangram Kishor Patel, Thoai Ngo, and Sajeda Amin
Impact of community-based girl groups, Miriam Temin and Craig Heck
Submissions from 2019
Delivering results in girls' education: How to evaluate what works, what doesn't, and what we don't know, Stephanie Psaki
Does education improve health in low- and middle income countries? Results from a systematic review, Stephanie Psaki, Barbara Mensch, Erica Chuang, and Andrea J. Melnikas
Submissions from 2018
Insights and evidence gaps in girl-centered programming: A systematic review, Nicole Haberland, Katharine McCarthy, and Martha Brady
Delivering impact for adolescent girls: Emerging findings from Population Council research, Population Council
Submissions from 2017
The global state of evidence on interventions to prevent child marriage, Sophia Chae and Thoai Ngo
Measuring gender equality in education: Lessons from 43 countries, Stephanie Psaki, Katharine McCarthy, and Barbara Mensch