Our programs and platforms are built on deep insights gathered directly from girls' experiences. We combine our own research with public data to create evidence-based solutions. As our work unfolds, we continuously track how young people engage with our platforms and measure the real-world impact on their lives.
Success means seeing tangible improvements in girls' knowledge and attitudes and their access to and uptake of life-saving services and behaviors. Where relevant, we also measure wider shifts in social norms.
We involve girls at every stage of our work – as designers, researchers, and data collectors.
Before launching any program, we conduct comprehensive research to ensure our work builds on existing knowledge and addresses real needs. This includes analyzing existing research and our previous findings, conducting formative research tailored to address specific learning questions, and gathering qualitative insights. Working with our target audience and their communities, we develop a thorough understanding of the challenges they're facing and how our work can best support them in overcoming internal and external barriers. Insights are then used to refine program strategy and determine the channels, messages, and partnerships that will ensure our work is successful.
We put girls at the center of our design process, involving them in co-creation, concept testing, brand development, prototype testing, and creative production. When program activities are live, we implement rigorous monitoring activities to track our progress, including through data analytics and user surveys, as well as capturing service data from partners. The objective of monitoring activities is to 1) understand program reach and engagement, 2) track program successes and challenges for iterative implementation, and 3) provide mid-point indicative outcome data.
We rigorously evaluate all of our programs through baseline and endline studies or comparative studies between consumers and non-consumers. We design measurement solutions that allow for agile and cost-effective data capture, using a range of qualitative (e.g., outcome harvesting), quantitative (e.g., quasi-experimental design), and digital (e.g., A-B testing) approaches. To ensure objectivity, we partner with respected local research organizations that collect independent data on our behalf. This comprehensive evaluation helps us understand how our work contributes to lasting changes in knowledge, attitudes, norms, and behaviours.
Traditional research methods often involve adults interviewing young people, which can create power dynamics that limit honest responses, particularly on sensitive topics like health.
Through peer-to-peer research, insights are gathered by young researchers who share similar experiences, language, and cultural contexts with respondents. This approach significantly reduces power imbalances and fosters a safe environment where authentic sharing flourishes. The resulting insights are more comprehensive, revealing not just what young people think, but the context, emotions, and reasoning behind their responses.
Researchers not from the same communities as respondents can misinterpret responses through their own cultural lens, missing critical context and producing flawed conclusions.
Because peer-to-peer researchers understand respondents' experiences firsthand, they can frame questions and interpret answers more effectively.
This ensures insights accurately reflect community realities, leading to faster and more comprehensive data collection and analysis.
Our peer-to-peer researchers use our groundbreaking mobile research platform to collect data. The platform works in areas with limited connectivity, reaching hard-to-reach communities while maintaining government-level encryption standards. Capable of collecting audio, video, and images, it allows respondents of all literacy levels to share their experiences.
To date, we've trained 450 girl researchers who have conducted over 25,000 interviews with peers and community members, capturing insights across 8 countries in 25 languages.