Girls' Rights Platform

Girls continue to face violence and discrimination all over the world. International policy must be strengthened, so that girls are not left behind. This platform aims to facilitate this, positioning girls at the heart of the international agenda.

About the platform

Plan International has developed this Girls’ Rights Platform so NGOs, young activists, diplomats, UN agencies, and academia can bring girls from the margins to the centre of the international agenda. This platform offers a number of resources and tools, including our Human Rights Policy Database, Youth Accountability Training for girls’ rights advocates, and a number of reports and factsheets analysing the status of girls’ rights in international policy and law.

By making these powerful resources available, Plan International hopes to increase the visibility of girls’ rights in policy, build a wider movement in support of them, and push back against regressive trends that have stifled progress for girls and gender equality more broadly. We recognise that millions of girls are disproportionately disadvantaged in education, health, work, and family life—particularly in the world’ poorest countries. When factors like poverty, ethnicity or disability intersect and where gender stereotyping and unequal power relations prevail, girls’ disadvantages are magnified.

Yet, international law does not adequately reflect girls’ plights. Research from Plan International reveals the extent to which international law overlooks girls’ rights, effectively rendering girls invisible. Rarely are girls mentioned as a specific demographic in international law and where they are, there is a failure to fully reflect the barriers that they face. Too often girls are falling between the dominant agendas of women’s and children’s rights. Gender-neutral and age-neutral approaches are shaping international law-making, shifting attention away from girls.

International policy must be strengthened, so that girls are not left behind. The Girls’ Rights Platform serves as a one-stop shop for information on international human rights policy to help change this. The Human Rights Policy Database facilitates access to intersectional language across various human rights issues, including robust terminology on girls’ rights. Policy makers can use the Database to safeguard negotiated achievements, and to improve upon current standards of language in international policy. The Platform also provides access to our Youth Accountability Training, designed for youth activists to expand their working knowledge and understanding of UN human rights mechanisms.

Contact us

Plan International United Nations Office in Geneva

1 Rue de Varembé

1202 Geneva

Switzerland