by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman
In some of the world’s poorest countries the economy is suffering because girls don’t get an education.
In Kenya, the economy could add $3 billion annually if girls could attend secondary education. A 1% rise in the number of girls attending secondary school boosts a country’s annual per capita growth by .03%.
The third annual “Because I Am a Girl” report from Plan International found that countries with high levels of institutionalized discrimination against girls and women are least developed.
Not surprisingly, in hard economic times girls in poor countries are likely to be pulled from school as families find it difficult to pay for uniforms, books and related costs. Such a move tends to consign girls to poverty.
The report’s 10 point global plan calls for giving girls better education, jobs, access to land and property and leadership opportunities.
Research confirms that when girls are working the economy grows and all members of a family benefit. Investing in girls delivers a higher return than any other investment in a country’s development.
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