Annual Review 2024 Olave Baden-Powell Society 33 1. Stop the Violence. Period. Every year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18, and 15 million adolescent girls worldwide experience rape. For women, the leading cause of homelessness is violence. Additionally, the cost of gender-based violence is devastating, both for the individual and for society and nations economically. The Global Advocacy Champions have called for an end to child marriage, increased financial resources to ensure women’s safety, and targeted policies and programmes to engage and educate all members of society, aiming to break down harmful norms and stereotypes associated with masculinity. 2. Breaking the Chain of Period Poverty Women and girls worldwide face various challenges due to period poverty. This ongoing issue that affects their livelihoods. Approximately 500 million girls lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM). Taboos surrounding menstruation exacerbate this problem, leaving many without proper knowledge or choices. Prioritising affordability, education, and access to sustainable solutions is crucial to ensure menstruation doesn’t hinder health, dignity, or equality. The Global Advocacy Champions called for menstrual products to be affordable, sustainable, and available in public places, alongside an investment in teacher training to increase the quality of education for young women. 3. Creating the World Where I’m Free Being Me 8 out of 10 girls are so concerned with how they look that they opt out of important activities; meaning girls and women are limiting their lives, and at times putting them at grave risk, due to unregulated and harmful beauty standards. We must reach all girls, knowing that self-esteem is lower among adolescents of low socio-economic status and is associated with a number of intrapersonal, interpersonal and socio-cultural factors. The Global Advocacy Champions called for ethical influencer standards with clear and robust guidelines, inclusive education and anti-bullying initiatives implemented in schools, and financial investment in non-formal education on body confidence. 4. Closing the Gap: Digital Access for All Internet poverty can be addressed by making access affordable for marginalised communities. Integrating safety education, fostering inclusive policymaking, and promoting mentorship empower girls and young women from low- income backgrounds to thrive digitally. The Global Advocacy Champions called for online safety education, funding to improve connectivity for low-income families and inclusion and participation for all facing geographical barriers. 5. Girl Led Action on Climate Change Girls and women are disproportionately affected by climate change due to the existing gender inequality which worsens their vulnerability. They can play a vital role in responding to environmental degradation and climate change, yet they are often excluded from wider discourse, and participation in decision-making. It is essential that girls and young women participate at all levels of decision- making, as well as in the design, delivery, and implementation of environmental programs, in order to shape a sustainable and equitable future for all. The Global Advocacy Champions called for targeted support and protection for young women displaced by climate change, support for female entrepreneurs to enhance their financial resilience and equitable access to resources for those in vulnerable communities. 33 Here’s a little more detail on what they did at the Commission on the Status of Women in New York in 2024. Together the Global Advocacy Champions, powered by you, decided to ask the United Nations for change in five key areas around the theme Elevate for Equality.
