The Girls’

Agenda 2026

Nairobi, Kenya | OCT 26 - 28

Sustaining the Girls Agenda: Building Systems, Partnerships and Investments for Lasting Impact

Smiling child holding a colorful “One Tree” children’s book in front of a thatched-roof home

About the Conference

Moving Beyond Investment. Sustaining Impact.

Across Africa, investments in girls have led to meaningful progress in education, health, leadership, and economic empowerment. Yet millions of girls continue to face barriers that limit their opportunities.

Building on the 2025 conference’s focus on financing, The Girls Agenda 2026 shifts the conversation toward a critical question:

What does it take to sustain progress for girls?

The conference will bring together governments, development partners, civil society, philanthropy, the private sector, and girls themselves to explore the systems, partnerships, and investments needed to create lasting change.

JOIN A SESSION

ACCESS THE AGENDA

WHY IT MATTERS

122 M

Girls worldwide remain out of school.

500 M

Women and girls worldwide lack access to adequate menstrual health products and services.

1 in 5

Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa are married before age 18.

AGENDA

Building the systems and investments that will carry the Girls Agenda forward.
Day 1 examines the progress made, the challenges that remain, and the role governments, businesses, and communities must play in sustaining gains for girls.

8:30 – 9:00 AM
Arrival, Registration & Networking
9:00 – 9:15 AM
The State of the Girl: What the Numbers Are Telling Us
9:15 – 9:30 AM
Opening Keynote: From Momentum to Permanence
9:30 – 10:30 AM
Plenary 1: Government at the Centre: Building Systems That Work for Girls
10:30 – 10:40 AM
Tea & Coffee Break
10:40 – 11:40 AM
Plenary 2: The Business Case for Investing in the Girls Agenda
11:40 AM – 12:40 PM
Plenary 3: From the Ground Up: The Power of Community-Led Change
12:40 – 2:00 PM
Lunch & Strategic Networking
2:00 – 3:00 PM
From Conversation to Commitment: Building the Partnerships to Sustain the Girls Agenda
3:00 – 5:00 PM
The Girls Agenda Exchange: Concurrent Side Events
5:00 PM
Close of Formal Programme
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Opening Cocktail Reception & Girls Agenda Dinner
Putting girls at the centre of the future and turning commitments into action.
Day 2 explores how progress will be financed, who will lead, and how commitments will be translated into measurable action.
8:30 – 9:00 AM
Morning Coffee & Networking
9:00 – 9:15 AM
A Girls’ Lens: What We Heard, What Matters, What Must Change
9:15 – 10:15 AM
Plenary 1: Girls as Leaders, Not Just Beneficiaries
10:15 – 10:30 AM
Tea & Coffee Break
10:30 – 11:30 AM
Plenary 2: Future-Proofing the Girls Agenda
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Plenary 3: The Power of Collective Action: Partnerships That Deliver and Last
12:30 – 1:30 PM
Lunch & Networking
1:30 – 2:30 PM
The Commitment Lab: Turning Ambition into Action
2:30 – 3:00 PM
The Nairobi Declaration: Our Collective Commitment to Girls
3:00 – 5:00 PM
The Girls Agenda Exchange: Concurrent Side Events & Funder Office Hours
5:00 – 5:30 PM
Official Closing: Sustaining the Momentum, Delivering the Promise
5:30 PM
Conference Closes
Continuing the conversation through deeper engagement and shared learning.
A day dedicated to closed roundtable discussions and site visits, offering opportunities for focused dialogue and firsthand learning.
Closed Roundtable & Site Visits

JOIN A SESSION

Conference
Key Themes

Building Sustainable Systems

Strengthening national institutions, policies, and local leadership to support girls beyond individual programs.

Sustainable Financing

Exploring domestic resource mobilization, philanthropy, blended finance, and impact investment.

Girls’ Leadership + Agency

Amplifying girls’ voices and ensuring they help shape the decisions and investments that affect their futures.

Innovation + the Future

Exploring the role of artificial intelligence, climate action, STEM, and the future of work in expanding opportunities for girls.

Partnerships for Impact

Strengthening collaboration across governments, civil society, philanthropy, and the private sector.

Evidence Into Action

Using research, data, and proven approaches to inform policies and programs that deliver lasting results.

Three schoolchildren in red uniforms sit at a classroom desk, looking at a tablet.

Our
Collective Impact

The Girls Agenda 2026 aims to turn shared ambitions into lasting action. Through the Nairobi Declaration, participants will commit to stronger partnerships, sustainable investments, and greater accountability to advance opportunities for girls across Africa. Because lasting progress requires more than promises. It requires collective action.

OUR SPONSORS