Last week, Henrietta H. Fore opened the February session of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Board with a call to action: “We cannot achieve a sustainable tomorrow if we fail to serve the needs of children and young people today.”

As the new executive director of UNICEF, one of the largest and highest profile agencies of the United Nations (UN) system, Fore holds immense sway over policies and actions that will affect girls worldwide. She takes the helm at a time of global tumult marked by an international order under growing strain, threats to internat