CGD Podcast: Addressing Adolescent Girls’ Realities with Ruth Graham-Goulder and Rani Deshpande
Center for Global Development | Released January 30, 2025

Introduction

In this insightful episode of The CGD Podcast, host Keinde Adjaye engages with two distinguished guests—Rani Deshpande, Senior Financial Sector Specialist at CGAP, and Ruth Graham-Golder, Senior Advisor on Gender Equality at UNICEF. The discussion centers on the multifaceted realities facing adolescent girls globally, exploring beyond the traditional policy focus on education, child marriage, and early pregnancy. The conversation delves into innovative solutions, particularly financial inclusion, to foster the prosperity and well-being of adolescent girls.

State of Adolescent Girls Globally

Keinde Adjaye sets the stage by reflecting on the significant progress made over the past decades in keeping girls in school and delaying marriage and childbearing. However, he highlights a concerning trend: over 50% of African girls aged 15 to 19 are out of school, married, or have children, despite high enrollment rates for younger girls. This underscores the necessity to broaden policy approaches to address the evolving challenges adolescent girls face as they transition into adulthood.

Key Statistics:

• 50% of African girls (15-19 years) are out of school, married, or have children.
• 80% of girls (10-14 years) are enrolled in school.

Persistent Policy Focus: Education, Child Marriage, and Early Pregnancy

Ruth Graham-Golder examines why policies remain narrowly focused on education retention, delaying marriage, and childbearing. She attributes this to a well-intentioned desire to protect girls, substantial evidence supporting these interventions, and challenges in reaching girls once they leave school or become pregnant. Ruth emphasizes the discomfort policymakers feel when addressing the needs of girls beyond these primary areas.

Notable Quote:
Ruth Graham-Golder at [03:15]: “There are multiple factors behind that persistent focus. I think the first is quite simple, that there's a very strong, important and good desire to protect girls and to protect their childhoods.”

Financial Inclusion for Adolescent Girls

Rani Deshpande introduces the concept of financial inclusion as a crucial yet underexplored pathway for empowering adolescent girls. Her research reveals a gender gap in financial inclusion that emerges around the age of 18, favoring young men over women in accessing financial services. Rani underscores the importance of designing financial programs that cater specifically to young women’s needs, thereby enhancing their economic opportunities and overall well-being.

Notable Quote:
Rani Deshpande at [04:33]: “Well, at SEACB, we first of all, just as background, we look at the role of financial inclusion in meeting larger development outcomes.”

Effective Policymaking and Multisectoral Approaches

Both guests agree on the necessity of multisectoral programs that integrate financial inclusion with other supportive services. Ruth highlights the effectiveness of combining cash transfers, sexual reproductive health services, and parenting support to achieve diverse outcomes such as reduced teenage pregnancy and increased years in schooling.

Notable Quote:
Ruth Graham-Golder at [08:13]: “There are some solutions out there, they may not be very well known and that's part of what we want to do, is to elevate those solutions that can be rolled out at scale.”

Rani adds that financial inclusion works best when paired with complementary services, advocating for partnerships between the private sector, government, and civil society to create sustainable models that support young women's economic empowerment.

Notable Quote:
Rani Deshpande at [12:18]: “The inclusion of those complementary services is much more necessary for some of those segments who face higher barriers to economic empowerment overall and they're going to be costly.”

Insights from Research and Polls

Rani Deshpande discusses findings from her recent report on financial inclusion, revealing that many young women prefer saving over taking loans for their side hustles. She emphasizes the importance of supporting savings-based pathways as they align with young women’s economic behaviors and preferences.

Notable Quote:
Rani Deshpande at [16:40]: “I think that’s an underexplored area.”

Ruth shares insights from a global poll conducted with nearly 590,000 adolescents, highlighting top policy priorities such as access to school, comprehensive sexuality education, and financial literacy training. These findings reinforce the need for policies that address the diverse and evolving needs of adolescent girls.

Notable Quote:
Ruth Graham-Golder at [24:27]: “The top five policy priorities that came out from that poll were access to school, comprehensive sexuality education, and financial literacy training.”

Magic Wand Policy Changes

When asked to wave a magic wand to change any policy, Rani Deshpande advocates for the widespread implementation of child savings accounts. These accounts, opened at birth, would receive regular deposits until the child reaches adulthood, promoting a "college mindset" and empowering girls economically.

Notable Quote:
Rani Deshpande at [28:29]: “I would love to see child savings accounts much more widely implemented.”

Ruth Graham-Golder complements this by proposing a universal Cash Plus program that includes cash transfers coupled with quality childcare provision, aiming to alleviate the unpaid care burden on girls and support teenage mothers in continuing their education.

Notable Quote:
Ruth Graham-Golder at [30:20]: “I think proper investment in that sector could be a game changer.”

Memorable Stories from the Guests

Rani shares a poignant story from her time in Benin, where she organized a "Take Your Daughter to Work" event. Despite inspiring young girls by exposing them to professional environments, two participants later became pregnant and dropped out of school, illustrating the limitations of interventions focused solely on education without addressing broader socioeconomic factors.

Notable Quote:
Rani Deshpande at [31:37]: “It's just the kind of firsthand knowledge that school is so much, but it's not enough.”

Ruth recounts visiting a primary school in Morocco where young girls created art depicting the challenges they face, such as child marriage and violence. This experience highlighted the urgent need to listen to and empower girls in policymaking processes.

Notable Quote:
Ruth Graham-Golder at [33:06]: “It really stands out to me for a number of reasons... but they were doing work that’s very harrowing. They are powerful advocates in of themselves.”

Conclusion and Takeaways

The episode underscores the importance of expanding policy frameworks to address the complex realities of adolescent girls beyond traditional focuses. Financial inclusion emerges as a pivotal strategy, especially when integrated with other supportive services. Listening to the voices of girls and tailoring interventions to their diverse needs can lead to more effective and scalable solutions.

Final Reflections:
Host Keinde Adjaye expresses hope inspired by the guests' work and the ambitions of young girls striving for change. The conversation closes on an optimistic note, emphasizing the potential of evidence-based, multifaceted approaches to foster global prosperity for adolescent girls.

Resources and Further Information

For more information on the topics discussed, including the report on pathways to prosperity for adolescent girls in Africa, visit cgdev.org. Access additional resources and learn about policy recommendations to support adolescent girls’ well-being and economic empowerment.

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