From the 5^th of July until 20^th of October UNFPA in Belarus launches public campaign “Investing into the future of teenage girls”. Respecting the rights and realization of the potentialof the teenage girls became the central topic of the 11^th of July – World Population Day and 20^th of October – launch of the UNFPA World Population Report 2016.

The campaign promotes the idea of investing into education and well-being of teenage girls (10-15 years old) with special focus on empowering girls from rural areas.

Teenage girls aged 10-15 years old face far more challenges than their male counterparts due to gender inequalities spread around the world. Teenage girls are looked at as a SDG generation, who must be consulted with and involved into implementation of SDGs. By 2030 they will be 25-30 years old ready to contribute to the development of their societies and nations. UNFPA is committed to promoting and protecting the right of a teenage girl to a safe and successful transition into adulthood and the right to embrace opportunities that the future holds for them.

On the 7^th of July Public professionals (UNFPA ‘mentors’) together with UNFPA CO team will visit rural town of Ivie (Hrodna oblast) and deliver master classes in the sphere of journalism and art in order to inform teenage girls from rural areas about the benefits of receiving education and personal development. Art historian, research fellow at National Art Museum and public lector Nikita Monich will introduce participants to the work of art historian and contemporary museum. TV-host and reporter Anna Bond will present to the participants the skills of interviewing citizens during street polls. The event is held in partnership with the Executive Committee of Ivie district.

On the 10^th of June UNFPA in Belarus kicked off the project ’10 year old girls – generation of Sustainable Development Goals”, to assess and evaluate the progress in implementing Sustainable Development Goals in Belarus through the prism of well-being and realization of the potential of the teenage goals.

On the 9^th of August UNFPA in Belarus launches contest for journalists, who would publish an interview with a teenage girl from Belarus, revealing the challenges and opportunities a teenage girl is facing these days. The articles should be published by 31^stofAugust. The names of the winners will be announced by 15^th of September 2016. The winning interview will be published in the supplement of the UNFPA World Population Report, which is due on 20^th of October 2016.

The findings of the UNFPA World Population Report will be publicly presented on 20^th of October 2016.

Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals directly depends on investments into development and well-being of teenage girls. Investing into teenage girls is a commitment of the United Nations, International Community, Governments of the UN member states, business and civil society organizations on the SDG agenda. The level of support of the teenage girls today defines social development tomorrow.

For more information please contact UNFPA in Belarus Communication Specialist Ahniya Asanovich, telephone in Minsk: 327 45 27, cell phone: 8 029 178 67 00 or by e-mail: asanovich@unfpa.org.