Strengthening adolescent capabilities in an era of polycrisis: Introduction to the special issue

This article presents an overview of contributions to the Special Issue ‘Strengthening adolescent capabilities in an era of polycrisis’. Articles in this special issue explore the unequal impacts of the polycrisis on young people’s lives in the global South, drawing on longitudinal mixed-methods data from Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Jordan generated as part of the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) research programme. A multi-country study based at ODI Global, GAGE has been following 20,000 adolescents in the global South since 2016, enabling a unique perspective on the ways that the global polycrisis has unfolded across and reshaped young lives around the world. This introduction establishes key evidence gaps addressed by articles in the special issue and identifies future directions for research and practice.

Suggested citation

Pincock, K., Jones, N. and Woldehanna, T. (2026). ‘Strengthening adolescent capabilities in an era of polycrisis: Introduction to the special issue’. World Development Perspectives: 43, Article 100823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2026.100823