Ellas al Frente
 

Building Stronger Programs for Girls, Together.

Ellas al Frente invests in Central American women-led organizations that are shifting focus to girl-centered programs to combat rising gender-based violence. Our goal is to improve education, health, and life outcomes for girls.

Central America has some of the highest rates of femicide and gender-based violence in the world. Political, economic, and climate crises are making life even more dangerous for girls. However, there are very few programs focused on protecting and empowering them.

Program Components

 

provide year-round training, coaching, and flexible funding to a cohort of 6 community-based organizations (CBOs)

host an annual in-person convening for the cohort and likeminded CBOs in the region

engage a donor collective in building a stronger sector for girls’ rights

 

Ellas al Frente supports visionary grassroots women leaders on a three-year track to: 

  • design and implement a girl-centered program, in partnership with girls from the community;

  • evaluate the program to measure girls' increased agency, which includes their access to education, leadership, and making other life choices; and 

  • strengthen their organization and attract new sources of funding

2,932 girls impacted
42 women leaders trained
“I learned that when designing and implementing projects with girls, we must listen to their voices, their needs, and interests in order to have a real impact on the development of their capacities and abilities.”
— Rocio Mendoza, Leer Para Soñar, El Salvador

Early Outcomes

Year over year, we’re measuring the change in girls’ independence in decision-making and self-esteem. Our 2024 data showed a 7.89% improvement over the self-esteem baseline.

  • From One-Off Projects to Long-Term Strategy
    Each organization now has a strategy aimed at boosting girls' agency through continuous mentorship and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programs.

  • Evidence of Girls’ Voices Being Heard
    Organizations are listening to girls—the percentage of girls whose ideas were implemented rose from 36% to 55%. As a result, girls feel more confident in their abilities and more empowered to make decisions about their own lives.

  • Catalytic Funding
    50% of the cohort members secured additional funding thanks to the trainings in program design and fundraising.

 

Ellas al Frente 2022-2025 Cohort

Acknowledgements

She’s the First is proud to lead Ellas al Frente alongside MAIA, our long-time partner in Guatemala. MAIA works to break cycles of poverty, discrimination, and injustice through the education and empowerment of Indigenous Guatemalan girls.

We are grateful to the Ellas al Frente donor collective for making this work possible:

Applications to join the next cohort of Ellas al Frente will open in mid-2025, if funding is confirmed. Ellas al Frente is part of our Girls First Institute, a skills-building, outcomes-improving professional development program for women who uplift girls in their communities, led by and for women from the Global South.