© Gates Archive I Dominique Catton I Zalika Almoustapha (4m) waits to be weighed during a check-in for the ongoing MORDOR study in Niabéré Béla, Niger I 2018

AGENCY

Agency is at the heart of our model of empowerment. It refers to the capacity of women and girls to take purposeful action and pursue goals, free from the threat of violence or retribution. The three core expressions of agency are: decision-making, leadership, and collective action. These are not simply ingredients for agency; rather, they are ways that women and girls can exercise agency in their lives.

WOMEN AND GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT

DIMENSIONS OF AGENCY

Learn more about the different ways in which agency is expressed by clicking on the dimensions below.