Free leadership course and skills training for youth gender justice advocates.
Girl Up Leadership Development - Research Notes
Girl Up Leadership Development is free and self-paced, removing cost and scheduling barriers that limit access to commercial leadership programs. It is integrated with a global community of clubs and campaigns, so learners can immediately apply skills in real-world settings.
The curriculum is backed by the United Nations Foundation and Global Fund for Children networks, giving it credibility with schools, parents, and partner organizations worldwide.
Girl Up's leadership development programming grew out of the United Nations Foundation initiative launched in 2010 to support adolescent girls worldwide. The organization expanded its training offer with the Girl Up Academy in 2022, delivering free online courses and leadership resources to young advocates.
In November 2025, Girl Up transitioned from the UN Foundation to become a fiscally hosted initiative of Global Fund for Children, recommitting to train one million youth leaders by 2030.
Girl Up Leadership Development offers free online courses, toolkits, and community resources designed to help girls and young women build leadership skills. Content covers self-advocacy, goal setting, community organizing, and civic engagement, delivered through the Girl Up Academy platform.
The program is open to participants globally and is structured so learners can progress at their own pace while connecting with local Girl Up clubs and campaigns.
