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As Girl Up turns 15, we — the 2025 Global Teen Advisors — are honored to stand at the crossroads of our movement’s past, present, and future. This milestone year isn’t just about looking back on all that we’ve accomplished together; it’s about stepping boldly into the next chapter of Girl Up’s evolution, transitioning from our founding home at the United Nations Foundation to our new home at Global Fund for Children (GFC).
For us, this moment feels like both a celebration and a promise. It’s a celebration of everything Girl Up has achieved since its founding within the halls of the UN Foundation, where a bold idea to invest in girls’ education and leadership grew into a global movement for gender justice. And it’s a promise to carry forward that legacy with renewed purpose, ensuring that the movement we’ve inherited continues to thrive, expand, and lead change for generations to come.
Honoring Our Legacy
Girl Up was born at the UN Foundation as a visionary idea rooted in the power of girls to create a more just and equitable world for all. Over the past 15 years, that idea has grown into a vibrant, unstoppable community of more than 345,000 youth leaders across 155 countries. Together, we’ve raised our voices at the United Nations, led campaigns in our communities, and built a movement that centers girls and young people as changemakers in their own right.
We carry immense gratitude for the UN Foundation — the place where Girl Up took its first steps and the partner that believed in this movement from the very beginning. The Foundation’s trust, optimism, and collaboration shaped who we are today. As we step forward, we carry that legacy proudly within us, forever part of who we are and who we’re becoming.
Coming of Age
Turning 15 means growing into our next level of leadership. As Global Teen Advisors, we see this milestone as a “coming of age” moment — not just for Girl Up, but for everyone who makes up this global community. We’ve learned from those who came before us, and we’re ready to expand our reach, deepen our impact on gender justice, and embrace an even more inclusive, connected vision for the future.
Our generation faces urgent challenges — from the climate crisis to gender inequity — but we also know that youth-led action is one of the most powerful forces for change. Girl Up’s 2030 goal — to train 1 million girls and youth leaders to shape the future they want to live in — is powerful, and it’s achievable because of the unstoppable spirit of this community.
For us, Girl Up has always been more than a program; it’s a sisterhood, a call to action, and a place where young people can imagine — and build — a better world together.
A Home for Youth-Led Movements
As we look ahead, Girl Up’s transition to Global Fund for Children feels like the natural next step in our journey. GFC has spent more than 30 years championing youth-led, grassroots movements around the world. Like Girl Up, they believe in the leadership, creativity, and vision of young people to drive progress in their own communities.
By joining GFC, Girl Up will gain a global home that mirrors our values and amplifies our impact — one that supports our grassroots foundation, honors our feminist principles, and invests in young leaders to create lasting change. It’s a continuation of everything we stand for, with new tools, new partnerships, and a renewed commitment to reach even more youth worldwide.
Carrying Forward Our Shared Vision
We will always carry our connection to the UN Foundation. The relationship that began with Girl Up’s founding will continue as a partnership rooted in shared values, especially our mutual commitment to uplifting youth voices and shaping the future of global policymaking.
As Girl Up’s Global Teen Advisors, we feel the momentum of this moment. We are stepping into Girl Up’s next era with the same spirit of innovation, collaboration, and purpose that has defined this movement since day one. Join us in celebrating 15 years of Girl Up and help power what comes next for youth leaders worldwide, just like us.
As we step into this next chapter, Girl Up Clubs around the world will help lead the way. Club leaders: please take a moment to update your Club bio on your social media accounts, and anywhere else relevant, to reflect Girl Up’s transition to Global Fund for Children and your ongoing commitment to girl-led change. They should now read: A youth-led volunteer Club under @girlup, a hosted initiative of @globalfundforchildren. Views expressed are our own.
Fifteen years ago, Girl Up was an idea. Today, it is a global force for gender justice. And tomorrow, it will continue to grow — powered by the same belief that started it all: when girls rise, the world rises with us.
