Now is the time to stand with girls in all their diversity
20 February 2025Together with our peers in the humanitarian and international development sectors, Plan International has been working at speed to analyse the impact of changes to US foreign assistance announced over recent weeks, and their consequences for children around the world, especially girls.
The current freeze on payments for US-government funded aid projects comes as, globally, multiple other countries are cutting back foreign aid spending. Governments are by far the biggest funders of sustainable development and humanitarian assistance and collectively, cuts to overseas development assistance (ODA) around the world mean that as a sector we now face the loss of an estimated USD$12 billion annually.
Based on our analysis, this could mean up to $5 billion less in funding every year for gender equality.
Progress towards gender equality at risk
Plan International warns that this loss of funding for projects focussed on girls’ empowerment will be devastating, placing hard-won progress towards achieving gender equality at profound risk.
In recent years, girls, women and their allies around the world have made incredible gains. These include more than two-thirds of all countries reaching gender parity in primary school enrolment, births to adolescent girls falling by a third since 2000 and the proportion of women married as children decreasing from 23% to 19% between 2012 and 2022.
However, this progress is far from even. At the same time, we are also witnessing highly concerning setbacks to girls’ and women’s rights in several areas – from bans on comprehensive sexuality education, the restriction of access to safe abortion and anti LGBTQIA+ laws.
Funding cuts affect children globally
Any cuts to funding will make our work to achieve gender equality even harder, with consequences for girls, boys, and all children around the world.
Kathleen Sherwin, Chief Strategy and Engagement Officer for Plan International, says:
“Girls are the largest excluded group in the world. Every day, they face discrimination and abuse simply for being young and female.
At current rates of progress, it will take 134 years to achieve gender equality.
“At current rates of progress, it will take 134 years to achieve gender equality. Working with girls, women and their allies, we can and we have made so many advances in recent years – improving girls’ chances of going to school, living free from violence and reducing their risk of marrying while they are children.
“But this progress is fragile, uneven, and constantly under threat. Programmes that have been paused or terminated over the past month included lifesaving humanitarian assistance and critical work to advance children’s rights and gender equality. But the threats and the risks that girls face every day – whether it is violence, hunger or poverty – have not paused.
“Plan International, with a presence in over 80 countries and a record of delivering change for girls from birth into adulthood, remains steadfast in our commitment to achieve a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls in all their diversity. We are here to support girls and this will not change.”
Solidarity fund to minimise impact of cuts
Plan International has worked long and hard with girls and their communities to identify the programme and policy solutions needed to create lasting change and achieve gender equality. We have proven, scalable programmes that are ready to be implemented wherever they are needed.
The child rights and humanitarian NGO has initiated a solidarity fund to help sustain some select strategic programmes, and to support partners and civil society, the aim being to minimise the impact of government cuts felt by children, especially girls.
At a time when girls’ rights are increasingly under threat, we need more investment
“At a time when girls’ rights are increasingly under threat, we need more investment,” Sherwin continues. “Our work must continue, and we are resolute that we will continue to stand with girls.”
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