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Why focus on girls' education?

Educating a girl

creates a multiplier effect

that can positively affect earning potential, health, and future opportunities, not just for herself, but for her entire family, village, and community.

Here's how.

Raises Eventual Income

Women’s incomes have been shown to be more likely than men’s to go towards food, education, health, and other family needs. Providing girls with even an extra year of schooling increases eventual wages by 10 20% . Also, even a 1 percent increase in the number of women with secondary education can increase annual national per capita economic growth by 0.3% .

Raises Eventual
Income

Saves More Mothers and Babies

Every year of education delays marriage for girls, lowers their risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth, and reduces the number of children they are likely to have. Each year a woman spends in school reduces both fertility and child mortality by 10%

Saves More Mothers and Babies

Leads to Healthier Families

Children of mothers who have even a primary school education are twice as likely to survive past the age of five. This is because educated women have more access to the resources they need to better feed and care for their families. For example, the children of a mother with even just one year of primary education have shown a 43% decline in malnutrition.

Leads to Healthier
Families

Reduces risk for HIV/AIDS and other illnesses

Every year of education for a girl increases awareness and lowers her risk of infection. A girl who completes basic education has been shown to be three times less likely to contract HIV. Education also increases overall health outcomes for women and their families for the rest of their lives.

Reduces risk for HIV/AIDS and other illnesses

Helps Protect From Violence and Abuse

Educated women are better empowered and better equipped to combat abuses such as domestic violence, trafficking, and discrimination at home, in society or in the workplace. Girls receiving an education are also less likely to be subjected to female genital cutting and more likely to oppose female genital= cutting for their daughters.

Helps Protect From Violence and Abuse

Impacts the Next Generation

Educated women are more likely to send their own children to school, be more active in their communities, and be advocates for other women and girls.

Impacts the Next
Generation

But in rural Africa, only 39% of girls attend secondary school, and fewer than 15% graduate from high school.

Why? Economic, social, and cultural barriers, such as:

  • Lack of family funds for tuition, fees, supplies, room and board, etc.
  • Bias toward boys
  • Overreliance on women and girls for household and farm chores
  • Undervaluing of education for girls
  • Absences due to illness or lack of menstrual supplies
  • Cultural practices such as early marriage and female genital mutilation
Read more about how WGEP breaks down these barriers.​

136 N. Marion Street, Suite 201, Oak Park, Illinois 60301

708-613-5260 / info@womensglobal.org

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