Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) is a nine-year (2015–2024) mixed methods longitudinal research and evaluation study following the lives of 18,000 adolescents in six low- and middle-income countries in Africa (Ethiopia, Rwanda), Asia (Bangladesh, Nepal) and the Middle East (Jordan, Lebanon).

GAGE is generating new evidence on ‘what works’ to enable adolescent girls and boys to emerge from poverty and fast-track social change. By combining quantitative and qualitative research exploring adolescents’ gendered experiences, with longitudinal impact evaluations testing programme effectiveness, GAGE aims to explore what strategies are most effective in transforming adolescent girls’ and boys’ lives at specific junctures during the second decade of life.

GAGE research has a strong focus on the most vulnerable adolescents, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) commitment to ‘leave no one behind’. Our sample includes adolescents who are out of school, refugees, have disabilities, are married or divorced, and/or are already parents. The results will support policy and programme actors to more effectively reach adolescent girls and boys, by focusing attention on what is needed at sub-national, national and international levels in terms of creating adolescent-responsive systems, services and programming.

The GAGE consortium, managed by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), includes 35 partner organisations from around the world. These organisations are known for their expertise in research, policy and programming in the fields of adolescence, gender and social inclusion. GAGE is funded by UK aid from the UK government.