The Girls First Institute is a leadership programme that equips women to support girls in their communities through education, health rights, and safe spaces to be heard.
Our trusted, hands-on programmes build the skills and networks of grassroots leaders in East Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. Together, we improve life outcomes for girls at high risk of pregnancy, school drop-out, and domestic and sexual violence.
233
organisations registered in GFI
33
countries home to GFI-registered organisations
The Girls First Institute Reach
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
6
countries with in-depth training
India
Kenya
Uganda
50,000+
girls reached through trainings & use of toolkits
400+
leaders trained annually
Women leaders are already trusted in their communities — and uniquely positioned to reach girls most at risk. They're often the first to respond to crisis and yet the last to receive resources.
The Girls First Institute exists to change that: investing in the women leading frontline organisations so they can keep advancing education, safety, health, and leadership.
Driving Better Outcomes for Girls
The Girls First Institute equips leaders with expertise across three core areas that drive better outcomes for girls. Those who complete the program earn a credential that signals proven skills and measurable program growth — helping them attract funding from our network of partners who are ready to invest in their work.
Girl-centred programme design
Supports organisations to design programmes grounded in girls’ lived realities, voices, and needs, ultimately shifting social norms
Feminist mentoring for girls
Builds mentoring approaches that create safe spaces where girls can access information, develop confidence, and strengthen their leadership and decision-making
Sexual & reproductive health & rights
Equips organisations to address the real challenges girls face around relationships, safety, menstruation, and bodily autonomy through age-appropriate and girl-centred programming
At Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda, girls are now leading the conversations that adults once shied away from. We trained mentors to feel comfortable talking about SRHR. The result? Girls being loud and proud about their bodies, as seen in their art. Most importantly, this shift in norms has correlated with a decrease in teen pregnancy rates and school drop-outs.
Arlington Academy of Hope
Explore the Girls First Institute
Integrating the Girls First Institute + RISE
This year, we launched Naserian, a two-year pilot in 2026 in Narok County, Kenya, where rates of teenage pregnancy, school dropout, and female genital mutilation remain among the highest in the country.
Naserian brings together the Girls First Institute and RISE to connect learning in schools with support in communities. The programme strengthens girls’ confidence, supports school re-enrollment, and builds lasting support for girls’ education among parents, caregivers, and teachers. Lessons from Naserian will help shape how this approach is scaled in the future.
Naserian will reach 2ooo adolescents in schools and 6500 out-of-school girls, building confidence skills and the power to shape their futures