By: Neda Ghomeshi / Opinion Editor
“Investing in a girl stops poverty before it starts.” That is the premise of the powerful initiative called The Girl Effect, a movement created by the Nike Foundation and driven by girls around the globe.
Neda Ghomeshi / Opinion Editor
Girls need to be properly educated to break the cycle of poverty – they have the ability to thrive, they just need the opportunity. With over 250 million girls living in poverty, more time and money needs to be spent on providing the necessary tools to educate young girls, which will lead to a prosperous global economy.
According to the National Academic Press, approximately 25 percent of girls in developing countries are not in school. This needs to change. With educated girls, developing countries will grow financially and common issues will diminish. When a girl in the developing world receives seven years of education, she marries four years later, and has 2.2 fewer children. If girls are properly educated, issues of child brides and early pregnancies will decrease, naturally opening up more opportunities.
Maria Eltel, president of the Nike Foundation, explains, “When we get to girls in early adolescence – before they are married, pregnant, and HIV-positive – we invest in a solution for poverty.” This investment will see positive returns. Educated girls become educated mothers, essentially setting the foundation and preparing the next generation.
Investing in girls’ education yields the investment returns, especially in the developing world. This kind of investment can lead to increased labor force participation and a an expansion of the economy. According to the International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, “Research shows that providing girls with an extra year of schooling can increase their wages by up to 20 percent, while also lowering birth rates, which can have a profound economic impact.” Basically, providing access to education enables opportunities.
Current efforts are not enough and not enough money is being directed towards education. “Over the past five years, the World Bank Group has provided $65 billion to support girls’ education, women’s health, and women’s access to credit, land, agricultural services, jobs, and infrastructure,” according to World Bank Group. More opportunities need to be easily available for young girls in order for a positive change to occur.
World Bank economists David Dollar and Roberta Gatti have studied the effect of girls’ education on economies. Dollar and Gatti conclude that economies “that have a preference for not investing in girls pay a price for it in terms of slower growth and reduced income.”
Essentially, uneducated young girls are the root problem of poverty; it becomes a vicious cycle. Uneducated girls do not know about sexually transmitted diseases and different forms of protection. Educated girls can understand and appreciate the undesired outcomes of unwanted pregnancies.
The benefits of providing education are apparent. Eric A. Hanushek, an expert on educational policy currently working at Stanford University, explains that “A variety of positive health outcomes for women and their families are known to flow from increased education…education generally leads to lower fertility rates.” Clearly, educating young girls helps eliminate common struggles in developing countries. With lower fertility rates and fewer health issues, young girls can focus on their education and their future.
Education is the key proponent of success. The lack of education being offered to young girls is affecting their future, affecting their health and hindering the global economy.
“Econ with Neda” is an economics op-ed column that runs every other Monday.
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