The Girl In The Classroom Is An Economic Investment
“When girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous.” — Michelle Obama There is a moment, repeated millions of times a year in households across the world, that rarely makes headlines. A family with limited resources decides which of its children will stay in school and which will not. Often, it is the daughter who stops attending, out of a decision about whose education will “pay off” for the family. Collectively, those decisions are costing the global economy tens of trillions of dollars. The World Bank estimates that restricting girls’ education costs nations between $15 trillion and $30 trillion in lost lifetime and productivity earnings—a figure almost the size of the entire U.S. economy. For years, the conversation around girls’ education has been framed primarily as a moral or humanitarian issue. That framing is important, but it can obscure another powerful argument. Educating girls is an economic investment. The World Bank has found that educating gir...