To Build A Brighter Future, Invest in Girls’ Education
by Moses Kyei Baffour
Investment is a key indicator of a country’s economic progress. For a country to develop, the government must invest in its human capital in order to yield greater productivity in the future. To invest in human capital, the world must consider investing in girls’ education to build a brighter future for the world. I am confident that girls are entitled to quality education in a safe and secure environment.
A global statesman, Nelson Rolihlala Mandela once claimed “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” An educated girl is more likely to become involved in the workforce, and in turn, bring economic stability to her family and community. Studies have shown that women invest around 90% of their income into their families and communities, thus reducing poverty and improving health and safety.
Still, it is disheartening to observe that children around the world, many of them girls, are forced to drop out of school. This is usually due to financial difficulties. Girls who grow up in poverty without access to education grow up to continue the cycle of poverty and lack of education. Girls from poor families are less likely to start and complete school due to the necessary tools acquired to shape, strengthen, and brighten their future.
According to UNESCO estimates, 130 million girls between the age of 6 and 17 are out of school. 15 million girls of primary-school age—half of them in sub-Saharan Africa—will never enter a classroom. Women’s participation in the global labor market is nearly 27% lower than men’s, and women’s labor force participation fell from 52% to 49%.
Excluded from education, a girl is invisible and powerless in the face of hunger. Powerless over her body. Powerless to break the cycle of poverty for herself, and for her future children. There is no need for many communities to continue practicing their traditional customs, which conflict with human rights and disadvantage girls. Gender-based violence, child marriage, and female mutilation all stand as shameful examples of these customs.
Building a strong education foundation for girls will help governments, communities, and individuals make the world a better place. The precious gift of knowledge can allow girls to achieve their aspirations in life. In the 1920s, the Ghanaian scholar James Emman Aggrey said, “If you educate a man you simply educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation.” This statement from Aggrey indicates that if countries or communities want a brighter future, investing in girls’ education is worth it. Similarly, Robin Cook proclaimed, “[Education] is more than a luxury; it is a responsibility that society owes to itself.” It is a society’s responsibility to value girls and make sure they are equipped with the necessary tools for better and quality education.
When girls are educated, economic growth increases, and their education leads to better jobs and wages. Educated women lead smaller and more sustainable families, and their children are often healthier and better educated themselves. Rates of HIV, AIDS, and malaria decrease, as does the rate of child marriage. More women participate in politics, and families become less susceptible to natural disasters and climate change.
In order to reap these benefits, societies must work to make schools more affordable, help girls overcome health barriers, and reduce the time and distance required to get to school. Schools must be made more accessible to girls, with an increase in quality. Community engagement and sustaining girls’ education during emergencies should be prioritized.
Many countries have made strides in improving education, by making education free for girls. Still, much needs to be done. I believe girls are essential to our generation and the future. We must grab their hands now, and support them to become empowered and capable citizens, otherwise we will face the negative implications across the world for both society and the economy. When we educate a girl, everything changes.
I am living proof that one person can make all the difference in the life of a girl across the globe. Although helping a girl can seem like a drop in the ocean, that one drop can be a person’s whole world.
One by one, we will change the world for the better.
References
Clinton Global Initiative: Empowering Girls and Women
https://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/phlntrpy/notes/clinton.pdf
International Labor Organization: The gender gap in employment: What’s holding women back?
https://www.ilo.org/infostories/en-GB/Stories/Employment/barriers-women#intro