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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.popcouncil.org/girlcenter">https://www.popcouncil.org/girlcenter</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:22.5pt"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:droid-serif;color:black">The Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center is a global research center that generates, synthesizes, and translates
evidence to transform the lives of adolescent girls. Through rigorous research about what works - And what doesn’t - We can better direct limited resources to support evidence-based solutions that improve girls’ lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:22.5pt"><img border="0" width="624" height="417" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01D4602A.56D57670"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:droid-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:19.5pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Too often, programs and policies meant to address the needs of adolescents miss the mark because they aren’t
evidence-based. Without rigorous research, policymakers cannot be sure that the policies they support will do what they’re designed to do. Without high-quality evidence, donors and program implementers often invest in interventions based on intuition alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:19.5pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Despite growing attention to the importance of adolescents around the world, efforts to conduct research, design
policies, and implement programs are often disconnected due to a lack of communication and coordination. To accelerate progress, the GIRL Center aims to connect key decision-makers with the evidence and data needed to make the best investments for adolescents,
especially for girls.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:19.5pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Building on decades of research and programs with adolescent girls by the Population Council and other partners,
the GIRL Center drives progress towards a world where girls reach their full potential as healthy, productive, empowered individuals and leaders.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:7.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:franklin-gothic-urw;color:#004F6D">How we work:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:19.5pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><img border="0" width="400" height="400" id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:image006.png@01D4602A.56D57670" alt="https://www.popcouncil.org/uploads/events/What_We_Do_GIRL_Center_(1).png"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:16.5pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Conduct Research</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><br>
We conduct high-quality research and analyses on issues affecting adolescent girls.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:16.5pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Communicate Evidence</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><br>
We communicate evidence to decision-makers in order to inform and improve investments in girls.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:16.5pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Convene Experts</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><br>
We convene leading experts to review research, identify gaps, and advance a forward-looking agenda.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:16.5pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Build Capacity</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><br>
We support the next generation of innovators and researchers to elevate the status of girls globally.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:7.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:franklin-gothic-urw;color:#004F6D">Why GIRLs:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:19.5pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Today, the world is witness to the largest generation of adolescents (ages 10-19) in history: 1.2 billion, with
the majority living in low- and middle-income countries. These adolescents are poised to lead their communities and countries in the coming years. To ensure they can reach their full potential, adolescents need a quality education, access to health services,
and the ability to make their own decisions. Unfortunately, many adolescents, especially girls, do not have these opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:19.5pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Research shows that when we invest in the health and well-being of girls, there is a profound ripple effect that
improves their families, communities, and countries. For instance:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:16.5pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Girls and women with more education tend to
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26523067" target="_blank"><span style="color:#00A5DB;text-decoration:none">marry later</span></a>,
<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775715000473" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#00A5DB;text-decoration:none">have fewer and healthier children</span></a>, and are
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26134875" target="_blank"><span style="color:#00A5DB;text-decoration:none">less likely to be HIV positive</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:16.5pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Ending child marriage could<a href="http://www.costsofchildmarriage.org/publication/economic-impacts-child-marriage-global-synthesis-report" target="_blank"><span style="color:#00A5DB;text-decoration:none">
reduce fertility</span></a>, with numerous positive effects on the economy and the next generation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:16.5pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Investing in girls’ education has been proven to
<a href="http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/278200-1099079877269/547664-1099080014368/DID_Girls_edu.pdf" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#00A5DB;text-decoration:none">increase women’s wages and improve women’s health</span></a> and the health of their families.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:19.5pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">The GIRL Center is committed to accelerating progress to improve the lives of adolescents around the world, especially girls. The
pathway to a brighter future for girls – and their countries – must be paved with rigorous evidence and informed investments.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:19.5pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:19.5pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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