“My parents were never home, and we had no food, so agreeing to a union was a way of having a roof and food. Life as a married woman is different and more difficult than I imagined. ... I stopped my studies. Attending trainings from Plan helped me understand that even though I have a daughter, I can continue to have goals. I will teach my daughter to go to school. ... I learned that we, as women, have value.”
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Millions of girls face obstacles and risks that most of us can’t imagine.
They include being forced into marriage and having children too young. Or suffering serious and life-threatening complications from female genital mutilation and other forms of gender-based violence. It also means going without life-saving food, critical health care, quality education and safe shelter.
That’s inequality.
As determined optimists, we believe that every girl deserves a fair chance at a good life. If you didn’t believe this, you wouldn’t be here.
As a global leader with 85-plus years of experience in championing the rights of children and equality for girls, we know what better looks like – and how to get there.
Join us.
We know you care about building a better world for girls. Contributing to Plan is one of the single most powerful actions you can take to make that happen.
Last year, Plan International reached 41.6 million children, including 22.2 million girls. Our goal is to help improve the lives of 200 million girls in the next three years.
But we can’t do it without your help. Whether it’s a one-time contribution or a monthly donation, your gift supports our ongoing work to achieve equality for girls.
You’ll be helping girls experience what we all hope for in life, and that’s the chance to be safe, healthy, educated and capable of caring for ourselves and the people we love. We also want to know that help is there when we experience a crisis and must rebuild our lives.
Your support for Plan, and our work, can help bring that shared hope to life. That’s profound. And it’s within your power to do it.
Millions of girls face obstacles and risks that most of us can’t imagine.
They include being forced into marriage and having children too young. Or suffering serious and life-threatening complications from female genital mutilation and other forms of gender-based violence. It also means going without life-saving food, critical health care, quality education and safe shelter.
That’s inequality.
As determined optimists, we believe that every girl deserves a fair chance at a good life. If you didn’t believe this, you wouldn’t be here.
Join us.
Together, we can help create more fulfilling and just lives for children – especially girls – facing today’s greatest challenges. Until every girl can go to school, be safe, and survive… together, we won’t stop until we are all equal.
We won’t stop until we are all equal!
Here are four reasons Plan International can and will create a more just and equal world for every girl and child.
1We’re global
Our teams stretch across three continents, working in 80+ countries and more than 55,000 communities worldwide. Many of our team members have grown up in the areas they work in, offering crucial insights to better understand and help address community challenges.
2We’re experienced
Since 1937, Plan International has been working with one goal: to help protect and improve the lives of every child. It’s what we’ve been doing for more than 85 years and continue to do today – adapting to the world’s most pressing challenges and evolving to meet girls’ greatest needs.
3 We’re strategic
We know that the most powerful way to increase the rights of all children and create healthier, more resilient and just communities is to champion girls’ equality. Transforming the world starts with girls – and it starts with removing the barriers that keep them from boldly stepping into their future.
4 We’re effective
83 cents of every dollar from Plan Canada donors in 2023 went directly to programs that reach children and their communities worldwide. The remaining 17 cents of every dollar went toward fundraising and operations to ensure that our programs run efficiently and effectively, prioritizing children’s rights and safety across all of our work.
Learn more about our work.
The Greatest Challenges Girls Face Today
Impact highlights from Plan International's 1,610 active projects in 83 countries last year
Education
The greatest challenge: To ensure that girls can attend school and complete their education
Why: Today, about 122 million girls are out of school.
Spotlight: We’re helping 49,000 girls in Tanzania overcome barriers to gaining their secondary school diploma – and with it, the chance to earn up to 2x more income in future jobs. For example, we distributed 500 bikes so girls who live far from learning centres can safely commute and attend class!
Health
The greatest challenge: To ensure that teens can avoid unplanned pregnancies and exposure to sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS
Why: The number one killer of girls ages 15 to 19 is complications from early pregnancy or childbirth or a lack of access to health services.
Spotlight: When 12-year-old girls learn they are pregnant, their childhoods are stolen. We worked with youth in Loreto, Peru, and the teen-pregnancy rate dropped 21 percentage points.
Protection From Violence
The greatest challenge: To end child, early and forced marriage, so that all girls have the freedom to choose if, when and whom to marry
Why: Every year, 12 million girls under the age of 18 are forced to get married – that’s nearly one girl every two seconds. These girls leave school and are more at risk of violence and unplanned early pregnancies.
Spotlight: A 15-year-old’s wedding isn’t an event to celebrate. We helped stop 12,000 early and forced marriages with our project in Ethiopia.
Humanitarian Response and Resilience
The greatest challenge: To ensure that children, especially girls, aren’t in jeopardy due to climate crises, conflict and an escalating hunger crisis
Why: Almost a quarter of the world’s children live in a conflict zone.
Spotlight: Last year, we distributed over 245,000 metric tons of food. That’s the equivalent of more than 6,800 eighteen-wheelers filled with food!
Youth Leadership and Economic Empowerment
The greatest challenge: To ensure that youth, especially young women, can earn a living and be independent
Why: Almost 25% of the world’s billion youth are not engaged in education, employment or training. Young women are more than twice as likely to lack these opportunities.
Spotlight: Last year, 15,980 youths and adults participated in our microfinancing programs, and 37,040 received financial literacy and entrepreneurship training.
Last year, with the support of people like you responding to requests like this, we helped 22.2 million girls.
Meet two of them.
Sefora’s Second Chance
Sefora, from Guatemala, is one of the 12 million girls each year who are married before their 18th birthday. Since then, she says, she’s “not the same.”
Read more
Salma’s Big Dream
Where is Salma the happiest? “School,” she signs. However, it took her more than seven years to get there. She has been deaf and nonverbal since she and her twin sister caught measles when they were four years old.
Read more
Our Goal
To help improve the lives of 200 million girls worldwide in the next three years.
Help
us make it happen.
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