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Welcome – Bienvenido – Bienvenue – أهلا بك!

As 2022 comes to a close, we are reflecting on a year that has kept us busy in many ways: in March we launched our new project strategy ‘Girls on the agenda and at the table’. We conducted three high-level events alongside CSW766, HLPF, and IDG2022. We launched our Safeguarding Community of Practice and started new research projects. We revised our own governance and structure (More info on the latter two in the updates below). Thank you for your interest, collaboration and support throughout this year - we couldn’t have done this without you!

We are closing the AGIP Secretariat for all enquiries from 15 December 2022 to 02 January 2023 as we embark on a period of collective rest. We wish you a restful and joyous holiday season, and a great start to the New Year. We look forward to reconnecting with you in 2023!

In solidarity,

The Adolescent Girls Investment Plan (AGIP)

French and Spanish .pdf translations are now accessible. We will continue to work on making these available in our newsletter format – please bear with us whilst we grow our skills in this area.

AGIP’s Commitment to Safeguarding for Meaningful Engagement of Young People

Within AGIP, we regard safeguarding is a living and breathing process. It continues to evolve with each engagement with young people and learning from the sector. Over the last year, AGIP has updated its safeguarding process and measures, specifically in the context of virtual engagement with young people. We have engaged in cross-exchanges of learning and expertise with the intention to collectively advancing the existing safeguarding practices in the social development sector. Besides our efforts to uphold the safeguarding and wellbeing of young people we engage with, we are also keen to share our learnings:

IDG 2022: In the lead up to the #IDGVirtualForum, AGIP was invited to conduct a webinar safeguarding for online engagement attended by Forum event organisers. On 11 October, as part of the IDG Virtual Forum, AGIP hosted an event titled ‘Safeguarding for meaningful engagement with adolescent girls’. The summary report includes AGIP’s guidance and contributions made by the participants. AGIP’s Safeguarding Checklist is a useful tool to put the recommendations from the report into practice. During this event we also launched our Safeguarding Community of Practice for stakeholders working with and for adolescent girls and young women. If you would like to join reach out to Florah.

Women Deliver 2023 Conference: AGIP is a technical safeguarding partner for the WD2023 Conference. We are currently developing resources and recommendations on safeguarding best practices for online and in-person convenings together with adolescent girls and partners.

We hope that the recommendations, stories, activism, and lived experience of adolescent girls and girls’ rights allies will continue to transform the safeguarding practices in the sector.

AGIP Updates on changes to our Governance and Expanding our Membership

AGIP’s Adolescent Girls Advisory Committee (AGAC): Based on a series of discussions with adolescent girls, members, and our Board, we all agree that the inclusion of adolescent girls should be at the centre and prioritised in AGIP’s governance and structure. We are proud to share that AGIP’s own Adolescent Girls Advisory Committee (AGAC) will launch early next year. AGAC members will inform the work of AGIP at all levels. They will have the opportunity to collectively decide how they would like to engage with AGIP’s Working Groups and Board. Two AGAC members will sit on the AGIP Board as equal Board members.

Status update: The application window for AGIP’s Adolescent Girls Advisory Committee closed on 25th November 2022. 655 applications are currently under review. Due to the overwhelming response, the review process will take more time than estimated. The final round of review has been moved to January 2023 so we can give each application the attention it deserves. Thank you to everyone who took the time to apply - we don’t take your interest for granted!

AGIP Membership Expansion: In 2023, we will be looking to expand our membership. We are particularly looking for young-feminist advocacy organisations and research organisations (institutes, think tanks) focussing on adolescent girls to join our global coalition. If you are interested in finding out more, please reach out to Florah.