How we work

The world is failing girls and how we work matters more than ever.

Across the globe, girls face growing risks and shrinking choices. Hard‑won progress on education, safety and equality is being reversed by conflict, climate shocks, poverty and discrimination. In too many places, systems meant to protect children are falling short, especially for girls.

At Plan International, how we work is central to how we respond. We work alongside children, young people and communities in more than 80 countries to advance girls’ rights and equality. We’re not only improving girls’ daily lives, but challenging the systems, power structures and norms that shape their futures. We stand with girls, work with allies, and shift power to those closest to the challenges they face.

We advance children’s rights in all contexts, including during conflict and humanitarian emergencies, where girls are often exposed to heightened risks and denied voice and choice. Across our work, we centre girls’ perspectives, recognising that lasting change depends on listening to those most affected and supporting them to lead.

Our approach

When girls lead, communities rise and how we work determines whether that change lasts.

In a world where girls are too often excluded from decisions that affect their lives, our approach focuses on listening, sharing power and acting on evidence.

We work to deliver lasting change by challenging discriminatory norms, policies and laws, and by ensuring our programmes and advocacy are informed by evidence, accountability and learning.

We strengthen the capacity of governments and institutions to fulfil their obligations to children, while partnering with local and global organisations to address the structural causes of inequality and rights violations. In humanitarian crises, we combine immediate life saving action with longer‑term approaches that support recovery, resilience and dignity.

Central to how we work is shifting power. In a world where girls’ voices are frequently marginalised, we actively support girls and young people to become drivers of change through education, advocacy and activism. We also shift decision‑making authority to colleagues, partners and programme participants in the countries where we work, recognising that locally led decisions are essential to effective, sustainable and lasting change.

How this shows up in practice

Our work is:

  • Gender‑transformative, addressing the root causes of inequality and discrimination
  • Rights‑based, advancing children’s rights in all contexts
  • Active in all settings, including development, humanitarian and fragile contexts
  • Delivered at every level, from local communities to global systems
  • Built on partnerships, because lasting change requires collective action
  • Accountable, informed by evidence and shaped by the voices of children and communities — especially girls

Explore how we work in more depth

Programmes and influencing
Partnerships
Using evidence for impact
Humanitarian principles
Localisation
Accountability
School girls in Malawi holding a football
School girls in Malawi holding a football. Photo credit: Plan International.

We are accountable to children and communities, to partners, and to the supporters who place their trust in us. From safeguarding and anti‑racism, to financial transparency and workplace culture, our commitments guide how decisions are made, how power is shared and how we act with integrity across the organisation.

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