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.
The skill-building programs of the Girls First Institute offer grassroots leaders hands-on support. The work is contextualised for East African, Latin American, and South Asian communities where girls face high rates of pregnancy, school drop-out, domestic and sexual violence, and gender oppression. Our resources are open-source and have been downloaded and used over 86 countries around the world.
233
Organisations registered in GFI
33
countries home to GFI-registered organisations
The Girls First Institute Reach
6
countries with in-depth training
50,000+
girls reached through trainings & use of toolkits
400+
leaders trained annually
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
India
Kenya
Uganda
Grassroots 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 for the next generation.
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.
Supports organizations to design programs grounded in girls’ lived realities, voices, and needs, to maximize impact
Girl-centred mentoring
Builds mentoring approaches that create safe spaces where girls can access information, develop confidence, and strengthen their leadership and decision-making
Feminist mentoring for girls
Equips organizations to address the real challenges girls face around relationships, safety, menstruation, and bodily autonomy through age-appropriate and girl-centred programming
Sexual & reproductive health & rights
“The mentors now feel more equipped to address gender-related challenges the girls face and are better able to facilitate empowering discussions. And girls have become more confident in expressing their opinions and advocating for their rights.”
Her Voice Matters, Kenya
Explore the Girls First Institute
Integrating The Girls First Institute + RISE
There is a strong opportunity to innovate an integrated, girl-centered ecosystem model that intentionally bridges school and community spaces. With support from the Stone Family Foundation, we launched a two-year pilot in 2026—Naserian—in Narok County, Kenya, where rates of teenage pregnancy, school dropout, and female genital mutilation remain among the highest in the country.
By integrating the Girls First Institute and RISE, the pilot works to strengthen girls’ self-confidence, support school re-enrollment, and build sustained backing for girls’ education from parents, caregivers, and teachers. Lessons from this effort will help shape how we scale this approach in the future.
Naserian
Our two-year pilot integrating The Girls First Institute and RISE - more copy to come.