GPIA - UNICEF Conference 2010: Adolescent Girls, Cornerstones of Society - Building Evidence and Policies for Inclusive Societies

Apr. 26-28, 2010 at The New School, Theresa Lang Center, 55 W. 13th Street, NYC


Posted on 11-20-2009	Translate this page

The 5th International Conference organized by the Graduate Program in International Affairs will be held at the New School and UNICEF. The aim of the 2010 Conference is to create a vision for adolescent girls in which their rights are fulfilled, and they are central to strategies to meet the emerging global challenges of economic crisis, demographic transitions, technology and innovations, and climate change.

Strategic investments in girls’ social protection, health, education, and livelihood skills promote social justice and are essential for achieving internationally agreed upon development goals, human rights norms and other global commitments. Understanding and addressing the needs of adolescent girls is key to ensuring their protection and the fulfillment of their rights, as they face the specific challenges of marginalization, inaccessibility to resources, and invisibility.

Much of the current discussion about adolescent girls focuses on child marriage, trafficking, reproductive health and education. While these remain critical issues, girls have been left out of research and debates around some of the most challenging emerging global issues. The current economic crisis, climate change, demographic transitions, and dramatic expansion and changes in the uses and availability of new information and communication technologies, present today’s adolescent girls with new risks, but also new opportunities. The circa 600 million adolescent girls who live in developing countries have the potential to play a key role in building healthy families, communities, governments, and economies in those countries.

The Conference will create a space for engaging debates and peer consultation among UNICEF international staff, New School faculty and students, academic and research institutions across the globe, NGO practitioners, and other external experts. A Call for Papers will be sent out early November 2009.

PAST CONFERENCES
The GPIA-UNICEF international conferences, held at The New School in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 covered a wide range of topics researched and presented by more than 200 experts from nearly 50 countries around the world. The main thrust of debates is structured around policies for enhancing child rights and policies/programs for children and families wellbeing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Louise M. Daniels, Conference Coordinator, adolescentgirlsconference2010@yahoo.com
Alberto Minujin, Conference Director, minujina@newschool.edu