New York: Leading Expert on Girls, Dr. Lisa Hinkelman, Shares Research at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

In September 2024, Dr. Lisa Hinkelman, Founder and CEO of Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX), delivered an address at the UNGA Goals House in New York City. Her talk, "The Mental Health Crisis Affecting Girls," shed light on the urgent challenges facing young women worldwide.

Goals House, the epicenter of change during UNGA, is a community of internationally renowned activists, thinkers, political figures, business leaders, and entrepreneurs that come together at significant global moments throughout the year, united in the drive to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dr. Hinkelman is the lead researcher and author of The Girls' Index™, the country's largest research study among girls in grades 5-12, surveying 17,500 girls. The findings from The Girls' Index™ demand urgent action to address the mental health crisis facing girls, a key step towards achieving the SDG of gender equality. Dr. Hinkelman shared both critical insights from this research, as well as evidence-based solutions from ROX programs with nearly 50,000 girls.

"Our research shows a sharp decline in girls' confidence, intense social pressures, and a troubling lack of belonging and connection at school," said Dr. Hinkelman. "The future of our girls - and by extension, the future of our world - depends on our willingness to listen, understand, and act. It depends on our commitment to invest in girls, to provide them with the support and resources they need to flourish so that we create a ripple effect that benefits families, communities, and entire nations. We need urgent, targeted interventions to support girls' mental health and well-being."

This event, held during the UN General Assembly, was a joint effort of The JED Foundation, ROX and VS&Co.