In Double Jeopardy: Adolescent Girls and Disasters (Because I am a Girl: The State of the World’s Girls 2013)

Plan International has released the seventh report in its annual State of the World’s Girls series. ‘In Double Jeopardy: Adolescent Girls and Disasters’ . This year’s report looks at what happens to adolescent girls in disasters and why. Using original research and the voices of girls themselves, it shows how adolescent girls’ rights are being ignored before, during and after disasters, both in the urgency of a disaster response, and in the gaps between humanitarian and development work.

The report examines the tension between girls’ vulnerability to violence, and the resilience that they so often show in times of crisis. It explores what needs to be done, and gives examples of good practice. It shows that listening to what adolescent girls have to say, ensuring that both their rights and their needs are catered for, and strengthening their resilience, is a key missing piece of humanitarian work.