In adolescence, the gender disparity between boys and girls becomes more evident. The social constrictions placed on adolescents begin to reduce the aspirations and accessible options for girls at this vulnerable stage.

In 1993, BRAC began a program targeted to out of school adolescent girls by providing safe spaces to socialize, play games and read books. In 2000 the Adolescent Development Program was formally piloted and expanded the earlier safe space program to include in and out of school girls and a curriculum was introduced to teach important life skills, such as human rights and reproductive health. In 2003 BRAC started an initiative to provide adolescent girls with access to microfinance, enabling them to take out small loans and engage in business initiatives.

Research has shown that girls participating in BRAC's programs for adolescents are more likely to go to high school and to aspire to go to college. The programs also inspired positivechanges in the way the local communities viewed adolescent girls.

Encouraged by these results, BRAC has taken its programs for adolescents beyond Bangladesh to Afghanistan and Uganda and will soon implement pilot programs in Tanzania and Southern Sudan.