We do not view empowerment as a state or result to be achieved, but as an ongoing process. This is why we envision a world where girls are continuously empowered, where empowerment is established as an ongoing process in girls' development from early childhood and throughout her lifetime.
When girls are empowered to develop agency - a developed sense of who they are, what they can do, where they are going, combined with the ability to influence their communication, emotions and behaviour on the way to getting where they want to go - they are able to shape their future and live a life they value as independent individuals. However, apart from agency this process also requires that girls have resources enabling their agency in practice.
Therefore, it is essential to provide girls with knowledge in order for them to be able to make informed decisions and determine what path in life they want to strive towards. It is especially important to create an understanding of what girls' rights, and in particular sexual and reproductive health and rights, imply in practice since this knowledge to a great extent influences a girls' future.
Another vital resource for girls' well-being is the feeling of belonging to a community or social support network with shared values and mutual support. This can enhance her agency and ability to exercise choice as an independent individual, while providing her with people that care for her and that she cares for, enabling kinship, friendship and happiness that can greatly influence her well-being in a positive way. Thus, girls' independence in choice does not by our definition imply being socially independent and isolated, but rather the opposite, of being able to exercise choice within - and with support from - a social support network.
Therefore, it is also vital to engage the local community and change harmful structures and norms that today prevent girls from accessing all their rights and getting equal opportunities to develop and act upon what they value in life. Working together with local stakeholders and community members, engaging them to be part of enabling girls' empowerment, instead of consciously or unconsciously limiting girls' empowerment, is key for girls to have the opportunity to make informed decisions and live a life they value, and be supported in their local community in doing so.