The Pan African Adolescent Girls’ Movement (PAAGM), powered by the Graça Machel Trust, is a continental initiative that seeks to amplify the voices, leadership, and agency of adolescent girls across Africa. Through this partnership, the Developing Women for Skills and Opportunities (DWoSO) Initiative joins a growing movement committed to advancing gender justice and ensuring that adolescent girls are recognized as leaders, changemakers, and active contributors to the development of their communities and countries.
Across Africa, adolescent girls continue to face barriers including gender inequality, limited access to quality education, harmful social norms, violence, child marriage, and restricted participation in decision-making processes. PAAGM creates a platform where girls can organize, advocate, and collectively influence policies and programs that affect their lives.
The project focuses on strengthening girls’ leadership capacities, creating opportunities for meaningful participation, and building a network of young advocates who are equipped to shape a more equitable future.
Objectives
- Amplify the voices and experiences of adolescent girls in local, national, and continental spaces.
- Strengthen girls’ leadership, advocacy, and civic engagement skills.
- Promote gender justice and girls’ rights through collective action and advocacy.
- Create opportunities for girls to influence policies and decisions affecting their lives.
- Build a sustainable movement of adolescent girls across Africa.
Activities
Girls Leadership Development
The project provides leadership training, mentorship, and capacity-building opportunities to equip girls with the skills and confidence needed to become effective advocates and leaders within their communities.
Advocacy and Campaigns
Girls are supported to design and implement advocacy campaigns that address issues affecting their lives, including education, gender-based violence, health, climate justice, and economic inclusion.
Intergenerational Dialogues
The project facilitates conversations between adolescent girls, policymakers, community leaders, and development practitioners to ensure girls’ perspectives are represented in decision-making processes.
Movement Building
PAAGM supports the development of networks and alliances among girls’ groups across Africa, fostering solidarity, learning, and collective action.
Digital Engagement
Through online platforms and digital campaigns, girls are provided opportunities to connect, share experiences, and engage in regional and global conversations.
Expected Impact
- Increased visibility of adolescent girls’ voices in policy and public discourse.
- Stronger leadership and advocacy capacity among girls.
- Improved participation of girls in community and national decision-making.
- Expanded networks and collaborations among girl-led initiatives across Africa.
- Greater recognition of adolescent girls as leaders and agents of change.
Get Involved
Join us in building a future where every African girl has the opportunity to lead, thrive, and shape her own destiny. Whether as a partner, mentor, volunteer, or supporter, your contribution can help strengthen the movement for girls’ rights and leadership across Africa.
Contact Us
For more information about the Pan African Adolescent Girls’ Movement, contact us at info@dwosoinitiative.org.