The LEAS Series, jointly launched by the Gender Group and Education Global Practice, highlights evidence-based approaches and best practices to empower adolescent girls at scale. It aims to bridge key knowledge gaps and identify entry points to bolster adolescent girls' programming to elevate girls' foundational well-being, prevent early marriage and gender-based violence, promote school completion, strengthen school-to-work transition, and advance women's economic opportunities. LEAS will support the achievement of meaningful outcomes and targets aligned with the WBG Gender Strategy 2024-2030. The series seeks to facilitate cross-country and multi-sectoral learning, engaging technical experts and thought leaders from the World Bank Group and its partners to drive impact at scale.
- OVERVIEW
- PAST EVENTS
- RELATED
From Insight to Impact: First Year of LEAS
In FY25, LEAS brought together over 550 participants across six technical sessions, building a dynamic, cross-sectoral community focused on empowering adolescent girls through evidence and action.
Our Year-End Brief highlights key lessons and momentum from LEAS’s first year—including over 900 unique visitors and 2,500+ page views of shared resources and growing partnerships with UN agencies, civil society, and the private sector.
In FY26, we’ll go further—tackling frontier issues like school-to-work transitions, skills for future jobs, and expanding our focus to include adolescent boys.
📄 Read the FY25 Year-End Brief (PDF)
📩 Questions or ideas? Reach out to asahay@worldbank.org or rsubhashini@worldbank.org
Let’s continue working together to empower adolescent girls at scale.
Menstrual health and Hygiene: A Catalyst to Elevate Human Capital
May 28, 2025 – The sixth session of the Learning to Empower Adolescent Girls at Scale (LEAS) series—was held in collaboration with UNFPA, Be Girl, and Breshna—as we mark International Menstrual Hygiene Day with a powerful conversation on transforming menstrual health into a catalyst for change.
The session explored how Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) can be a powerful entry point to invest in human capital, strengthen service delivery, and advance gender equality. Through country experiences, youth-led approaches, and creative communication tools, the discussion emphasized that MHH is not only a health issue—it is integral to education, productivity, dignity, and economic participation.
Educational Equity for All: Addressing Barriers to Adolescent Boys' Academic Success
March 26, 2025 – The fourth session of the Learning to Empower Adolescent Girls at Scale (LEAS) series examined the barriers hindering adolescent boys’ educational success and showcased successful interventions across regions and sectors. The session highlighted how these approaches are helping improve learning outcomes, boost enrollment and retention, and close gender gaps — ultimately empowering adolescent boys and supporting the development of more equitable, inclusive education systems where no child is left behind.
Reimagining STEM Leadership: Shaping the Future of Adolescent Girls through STEM
Watch recording | View presentation (PDF)
February 18, 2025 -- The third session of the Learning to Empower Adolescent Girls at Scale (LEAS) series, held in collaboration with UNICEF in honor of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, brought together experts and practitioners to explore inclusive and scalable initiatives that enhance girls' access to and retention in STEM education. The discussion highlighted innovative approaches that pave the way for the next generation of female leaders in STEM.
Empowering Adolescent Girls: The Agency to Navigate Digital Technologies
Watch recording | View presentation (PDF)
Jan 22, 2025 -- Global experts discussed how digital technologies can bridge the gender divide, the potential risks they present for adolescent girls, and the critical role that education and digital literacy can play in mitigating those risks. The discussion highlighted effective practices and innovative solutions to empower adolescent girls to harness technology responsibly.
Empowering Adolescent Girls through Sexual and Reproductive Health
October 10, 2024 -- The Gender Group, in collaboration with the Education Global Practice, launched the Learning to Empower Adolescent Girls at Scale (LEAS) series. LEAS aims to showcase how to effectively integrate adolescent girls’ initiatives into projects to elevate girls’ foundational wellbeing; reduce risk of early marriage, gender-based violence, and adolescent fertility rate; smooth the school-to-work transition; and expand and enable women’s economic opportunities.
CONTACTS
Abhilasha Sahay - Economist, Gender, World Bank | asahay@worldbank.org
Ekua Nuama Bentil - Senior Education Specialist, World Bank | ebentil@worldbank.org
Date: March 26, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM ET
Location: Virtual