The Coalition, an emerging public-private partnership created by the United Nations Foundation and the Nike Foundation, seeks to increase funding for adolescent girls. This goal is based on preliminary research findings that improved education, health and financial literacy of adolescent girls reduces poverty, and can thus help eradicate global poverty altogether.

Mary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland and the former United Nations High

Mary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland and the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Commissioner for Human Rights, was among attendees of the presentation.

Through its partnership with ICRW, the Coalition defines its age- and gender-specific demographic to address the existing lack of investment in adolescent girls—and the societal effects of this deficit. "There is a large, very tangible gap when it comes to adolescent girls,” said the Coalition’s representative.

Adolescent girls, according to the ICRW representative, have also become the new face of HIV/AIDS. Factors for this trend include girls’ biological susceptibility, social norms and inequality, lack of knowledge and risky sexual relationships.

To improve the lives of adolescent girls, the Coalition and ICREW seek to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, improve education, prevent and mitigate early marriage and increase knowledge of HIV/AIDS.

Following the informational session and group exercise, ICRW conducted a confidential focus group of women under age 30 from developing countries. “We need your help,” the Coalition representative said to introduce the focus group. “We need your voices if we want our research to affect real change.”