About

Chair Nicola Jones @njonesODI – Principal Research Fellow, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, ODI Speakers María del Carmen Calle – Executive Secretary, Pan-Andean Health Organisation Prerna Banati @pbanati – Regional Gender and Adolescent Girls Advisor, West and Central Africa, UNICEF Kenan Madi – Programme Manager, UNICEF Jordan Selin Ozunaldim @SOzunaldim – Founder, Girls Who Code Turkey Closing remarks Arlette Mvondo @ArletteMvondo – Policy Advisor, UN Women Description As governments roll out Covid-19 response plans, a critical window of opportunity arises to reshape adolescent girls’ programs, anchoring them in girls’ voices, leadership and ambitions. Dedicated strategies to reach and support adolescent girls have been advocated, however challenges to scaling up approaches include sustainable financing, and weak systems with limited integration. Policymakers and community leadership also tend to be resistant and sceptical of meaningful adolescent girls’ engagement. As part of the broader conversations around the sixty-fifth session of the Commission on the Status of Women and in partnership with ODI’s GAGE and UNICEF, we explore empowering girl-intentional approaches to policy and programming. We also share experiences from promising practices in low- and middle-income countries, including lessons in light of the pandemic. This webinar is the second in a three-part ODI series on empowering women on their journey from adolescent girls, to young feminists, through to future political and judicial leaders.