BEAVERTON, Ore., Sept. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ Harnessing the power of the Girl Effect movement and the belief that by investing in girls we can stop poverty before it starts, the Nike Foundation continues to shed light on the need for girl specific programming with the introduction of 12+ (Rwanda) at this week's Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in New York.

The Nike Foundation is also elevating the study "," the first paper of its kind to m nike free run easure the economic impact of excluding adolescent girls in development countries, as well as an unprecedented, girl specific summary of the 2012 World Development Report, "Smarter Economics: Investing in Girls," being released by the World Bank this week.

The Government of Rwanda, the Nike Foundation, and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID), are partnering to pilot the 12+ program a year long, health based learning experience for 12 year old girls in Rwanda.

The program establishes a new "norm" where girls have access to information, expect to be informed, have knowledgeable mentors and friends, and find out necessary information. 12+ is designed to reach girls before their 13th birthdays to ensure that those most vulnerable to unhealthy outcomes receive the information and care they need.

Driven by a Commitment to Action (CTA) at CGI, the 12+ program will foster a support network through mentorship, safe spaces for girls, education in reproductive health and financial literacy, and interactive challenges that leverage the power of strong social networks and social capital.

"Adolescence remains the most critical period when girls are at the greatest risk of being impacted by irreversible negative consequences. By investing in and equipping girls a Women Nike Free TR Fit s early as the age of 12 we are creating the next generation of girl champions, and promoting healthier, more sustainable communities and nations," said Maria Eitel, President and CEO of the Nike Foundation. "This is what we call the girl effect."

The 12+ program is one of more than 80 programs funded by the Nike Foundation that supports the Girl Effect on the ground in developing countries around the world. The Nike Foundation identifies and funds bold, creative, ambitious programs new or established that support the Girl Effect in the areas of education, violence and safety, child marriage and pregnancy

The Girl Effect DividendThe impact of not investing in girls is significant. The Nike Foundation in partnership with the World Bank is releasing "." by leading economists Jad Chaaban and Wendy Cunningham and sponsored in part by the Nike Foundation, the paper approximates the true economic costs of excluding girls from development programs. The Girl Effect Dividend highlights the challenges girls face with early pregnancy and gaining access to education and employment: 91 million girls are not in school. 14 million will give birth this year (and they are 2 to 5 times likelier to die from it as women in their twenties). On average, 41% of girls in 12 countries studied are jobless that is, not working and not in school.

Healthier and better educated girls who have access to labor markets translate to trillions of dollars added to GDP in the world's poorest countries:

In Kenya a girl who does not delay her first childbirth will lose $44,000 in future earnings on average. This in a country where girls and young women earn less than seven dollars a day. That's about the same amount as all of the world's 2009 development aid. That amount exceeds the GDPs of 160 countries. "Estimating the economic cost of girls' exclusion is an important exercise one that has given us a sense of the magnitude of the problem.

The p nike free australia aper also demonstrates the economic gain from investing in girls. Introduced with a letter by World Bank President Robert Zoellick and Nike Foundation President and CEO Maria Eitel, the summary calls out girls as the best investment with the highest returns, initiatives spearheaded by the organizations, and stories of the girls influenced by these programs. The Foundation's investments are designed to get girls on the global agenda and drive resources to them. The work of the Nike Foundation is supported by Nike, Inc. and the NoVo Foundation, a collaboration that has significantly broadened the impact of the Girl Effect.

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