SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It shall be the international development policy of the 
United States to— 
(1) promote and ensure that all adolescents 
from the most marginalized populations, including 
both girls and boys, are able to fully participate in 
society, and are specifically able to exercise their 
civil and political rights as agents of change in their 
communities and countries; 
(2) increase the capability of adolescents, par-
ticularly adolescent girls, in assuming leadership 
roles, holding decision makers to account, and influ-
encing decision making at the household, commu-
nity, and societal levels; 
(3) ensure meaningful engagement and con-
sultation with adolescents, particularly adolescent 
girls, to ensure that United States foreign assistance 
initiatives, including the planning, implementation, 
and evaluation of projects, are effective and respon-
sive to this input with a focus on country and com-
munity ownership; 
(4) ensure that consultation processes are 
transparent, voluntary, inclusive, safe, respectful, 
and responsive to structural barriers affecting ado-
lescent girls’ meaningful engagement; 
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(5) actively work to decrease discrimination to-
wards, and the abuses of, the rights of adolescent 
girls, particularly among the most vulnerable popu-
lations; and 
(6) utilize evidence-based approaches and prac-
tices in developing such programs, including taking 
into account the role of family, religious, and com-
munity leaders in creating supportive environments, 
the identification of mentors and role models, and 
the creation of safe spaces for adolescent girls. 
SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO ENCOURAGE THE CIVIC AND POLIT-
ICAL 
PARTICIPATION 
OF 
ADOLESCENT 
GIRLS. 
(a) STRATEGY REQUIRED.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of State and the Administrator of the United States Agen-
cy for International Development shall jointly submit, sep-
arate from or as part of other public strategies, to the 
appropriate congressional committees and make publicly 
available a single strategy on strengthening the participa-
tion of adolescents, particularly adolescent girls, in democ-
racy, human rights, and governance. The strategy shall 
include a detailed description of how each agency’s democ-
racy and governance center intends to fulfill the policy ob-
jectives set forth in section 3. 
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(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy submitted under sub-
section (a) shall include the following elements: 
(1) A specific implementation plan from each of 
the relevant Federal agencies that describes— 
(A) the anticipated contributions of the 
agency, including technical, financial, and in- 
kind contributions, to implement the strategy; 
and 
(B) the efforts of the agency to ensure 
that the policies and initiatives carried out pur-
suant to the strategy are designed to achieve 
maximum impact and long-term sustainability. 
(2) Strategic objectives and activities, including 
social accountability, research, and learning, to ad-
vance the leadership, civic, and political engagement 
of adolescents, particularly adolescent girls, includ-
ing a description of how such efforts will advance 
gender equality and reduce the distinct barriers that 
adolescent girls and boys each face, including the 
most marginalized adolescents, to their civic partici-
pation in existing structures, institutions, and the 
broader enabling environment. 
(3) Metrics, benchmarks, and a monitoring, 
evaluation, and learning plan to ensure the account-
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ability and effectiveness of all activities related to 
the policy objectives set forth in section 3. 
(4) An explanation of how such objectives and 
activities will be aligned with existing United States 
foreign assistance policies and strategies relevant to 
promoting global gender equality and women’s and 
girls’ empowerment. 
(5) An explanation of how gender analysis has 
informed the strategy and implementation plan, in-
cluding the strategic objectives and activities to ad-
vance the leadership, civic, and political engagement 
of adolescents. 
(6) Plans for consultations with civil society 
that include girl-led and women’s organizations and 
other local civil society in partner countries, United 
States civil society, and other stakeholders to inform 
the development and implementation of the strategy, 
the creation of metrics, and the monitoring and eval-
uation of program interventions. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—The strategy required under 
subsection (a) shall be developed in consultation with civil 
society in the United States and affected foreign countries, 
including adolescent girls. 
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SEC. 
5. 
IMPLEMENTATION 
OF 
FOREIGN 
ASSISTANCE 
PROJECTS, PROGRAMS, AND ACTIVITIES. 
The Secretary of State and the Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development shall 
implement United States foreign assistance projects, pro-
grams, and activities designed to strengthen the participa-
tion of adolescents, particularly adolescent girls, in democ-
racy, human rights, and governance, including— 
(1) increasing adolescent girls’ civic and polit-
ical knowledge and foundational skills, advocacy, 
confidence, leadership and research skills, leadership 
opportunities, intergenerational mentorship opportu-
nities, data and media literacy, and supporting their 
meaningful political participation and engagement in 
civil society and the public sphere; 
(2) addressing barriers to adolescent girls’ and 
women’s civic engagement and political participation, 
and integrating engagement of men and boys, fami-
lies, community leaders, religious leaders, schools, 
political bodies, government bodies, and other stake-
holders to improve the enabling environment for ad-
olescent girls’ civic and political participation; 
(3) identifying and taking into account other 
barriers to adolescent girls’ civic and political en-
gagement, including child, early and forced mar-
riage, access to quality primary and secondary edu-
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