This publication is the first to focus on the specific needs and challenges of girls and women at risk of, or living with, NCDs. It aims to draw attention to NCDs as a priority for women’s health and development, stimulate policy dialogue on the particular issues related to girls and women in the lead up to the first ever UN High-Level Summit on NCDs in September 2011, and inform actions by all partners going forward. It complements existing strategies such as the WHO 2008-2013 Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, and builds on plans such as the 2010 UN Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health which refers to NCDs as a key element of improving the health and lives of girls and women worldwide.