World leaders don’t know what girls want.
Girls do.
The Problem.
World leaders are gathering for the Summit of the Future on September 22-23 at the United Nations in New York. But they haven’t bothered to meaningfully listen to or involve the people who have the most at stake in that future: girls and young women. This is unacceptable.
The Solution.
What Girls Want – and the rights and resources they are entitled to – is not a mystery. Girls have told us what they want and deserve, and they know how to build a better future for everyone, if only world leaders would listen. Girls are at the forefront of bold social justice movements, and they deserve a future rooted in safety, dignity, joy, and the right to simply "be girls".
What Girls Want.
Over the past decade, countless consultations around the world have asked girls and young feminists what they need. They are calling out for solidarity and justice, demanding that world leaders honour their rights and resource their work.
It's time to be accountable and act on girl's demands listed below, which originate from those public consultations:
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Girls demand the end of systemic inequalities that perpetuate unsafe and unjust societies. Every girl, regardless of identity, race, or background, deserves respect and opportunities to thrive.
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Governments must allocate meaningful resources to policies that support girls’ health, education, and overall wellbeing.
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Girls lead movements for change. They need flexible, long-term resources to support their activism and community work.
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Girls deserve the right to a safe and supported childhood. Codifying their rights and protecting them from violence and systemic discrimination is essential.
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Girls must be included in decision-making processes, from local to global levels. They demand the power to co-lead and shape decisions that impact their futures.
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Policies and commitments must be backed by action. Girls demand transparency, monitoring, and real accountability from governments and institutions.
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Girls are disproportionately affected by climate crises. They demand to be part of decision-making processes and actions that promote environmental justice.
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Girls deserve the right to control their own bodies. This includes access to comprehensive, safe, and stigma-free reproductive health services.
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Every girl deserves access to free, safe, and inclusive education. Barriers such as discrimination, child marriage, and financial hardship must be eliminated.
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Girls demand to live in peaceful, inclusive societies, free from violence and fear. They should be leaders in peacebuilding and crisis response efforts.
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Girls demand freedom from all forms of violence, exploitation, and discrimination. They deserve safe relationships and environments to thrive.
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Girls demand equal opportunities for employment, fair wages, and economic independence, regardless of their background.
To view a more detailed and comprehensive version of girls' demands, download the PDF:
Get Involved.
Help us make sure that world leaders can’t ignore the voices and demands of girls from around the world. We’ve created a social toolkit with graphics, ideas, and inspiration for how you can add your voice to this campaign.
#WhatGirlsWant
#WhatGirlsWant
What Girls Are Saying.
“Girls want a world where they have power, freedom, success, protection, safety, a strong cultural identity, confidence, love and joy.”
“ Please, listen to our voices as young people, for the decisions you make today will impact our lives tomorrow.”
- Furaha, Sub-Saharan Africa, Girls’ Pact for the Future
“Equality in employment, jobs with dignity, paid work, paid internships and equal remuneration for hourly wage of part-time and full-time work, under equal conditions.”
About Us.
We are an informal coalition of more than 20 girl-centred organisations, institutions, funders, and allies fighting for change around the world.
A subset of this group collated insights, data, and stories from more than 20 publicly documented consultations with girls and young women over the past 10 years - united by a shared desire to centre and amplify girls’ demands in spaces where they are being ignored. We are grateful for and honour all the girls who are dreaming of and demanding a better world.