Young people have been hailed as torchbearers of gender equality and as key actors in identifying and implementing solutions our world urgently requires. This said, understanding how girl- and youth-led organisations operate and their positioning within the ecosystem of gender equality and social change efforts requires careful examination. This report explores the experiences of girl-and youth-led work across low-and middle-income country contexts, and aims to understand the characteristics, contributions, and challenges of girl-and youth-led organisations. It highlights the global focus on gender equality and girls’ rights, emphasizing the increasing visibility of these issues in development commitments yet the complexities in translating these into tangible benefits for girls.

It draws on a rapid evidence review of secondary literature and key informant interviews with girl-and youth-led organisation members, intermediary organisations involved in funding girl- and youth-led groups and monitoring and evaluation experts to understand the contributions and impact of girl-and youth-led initiatives within the broader ecosystem of adolescent and youth empowerment and development as well to investigate the challenges they face in carrying out and expanding their work. The report concludes with reflections and key recommendations stemming from the research.