Why Should We Pay Attention to Little research has been done to understand how investments in girls impact economic

growth and the health and Girls?

well-being of communities. This lack of data reveals how pervasively girls have been overlooked. For millions of girls across the developing world, there are no systems to record their birth, their citizenship, or even their identity. However, the existing research suggests their impact can reach much farther than expected.

The Ripple Effect

When a girl in the developing years of education, she marries four fewer children. Population Fund, State of World Population (United Nations
1990.)

world years

receives later and

seven or has 2.2

more

10

Education: A [Washington,

An extra year of primary school boosts girls eventual wages by to 20 percent. An extra year of secondary school: 15 25 (George to Psacharopoulos percent. and Harry Anthony Patrinos, Returnsto Investment in
Further Update,Policy D.C.: World Bank, Research 2002].) Working Paper 2881

Survival: A and Medicine 36

Research in developing countries has shown a consistent relationship between better infant and child health and higher levels of schooling among mothers. (George T. Bicego and J. Ties Boerma, Maternal Education and
Comparative (9) [May Study 1993]: of Survey 120727.) Data from 17 Countries,

Child Social Science

When women and girls earn income, they reinvest 90 percent of it into their families, as compared to only 30 to 40 percent (Phil for Borges, with forewordby Madeleine Albright, Women Empowered: Inspiring Change in the York: Rizzoli, 2007], 13.) a Emerging World [New man.

Population Trends
live Today, more in the Girls Count, (Population than 600 developing 14 Reference million girls world.
database, 20, 2007].)

Bureau, DataFinder http://www.prb.org/datafinder.aspx [accessed December

More than Caribbean, women Girls Count, (United Nations Department

The

the

The largest in Girls (Ruth Levine et

Center

and Social Affairs, World 2006 Revision, http://esa.un.org/unpp, and World Urbanization Prospects: The 2005 Revision, www.un.org/esa/population/publications/WUP2005/2005WUP_DataTables1.pdf.)

one-quarter of and sub-Saharan ages 10 to 15 of Economic

the population Africa are girls 24.

in and

Asia, Latin young

Population

America,

Prospects:

for

total global population of girls ages 10 to 24already historyis expected to peak in the next decade. Count, 14 Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda al., [Washington, D.C.:
Global Development, 2008].)

the

Educational Gaps
Countries

Approximately (Cynthiacountries B. developing

[Washington,

D.C.:

one-quarter Lloyd, ed., are not

National Academies

of girls in Growing Up Global: The Changing Transitions to Adulthood in Developing in school.

Press, 2005].)

Out of the worlds 130 (Human percentWatch, are Rights Promises school youth, 70 girls.
on Child, the 10th Anniversary of

million out-ofBroken: An Assessment the Convention on of the 1999].) Childrens Rights of Rights the

Child Marriage and Early Childbirth

http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/crp/promises/education.html [December

One girl in seven in developing countries marries before age 15. Girls Count, 41 (Population Council, Transitions to Adulthood: Child
http://www.popcouncil.org/ta/mar.html [updated May

Marriage/Married Adolescents, 13, 2008].)

38 percent marry before age 18. Girls Count, 41 Growing Up Global: The Changing Transitions to Adulthood in Developing Countries [Washington, (Cynthia B. Lloyd, ed.,
D.C.: National Academies Press, 2005].)

One-quarter to one-half of girls mothers before age 18; 14 million girls birth in developing countries each year. Girls Count, 3 (United Nations Population Fund, State of World Population 2005,
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2005.)

in aged

developing 15 to

countries 19 give

become

In Nicaragua, 45 percent married before age 18 versus only counterparts. In Mozambique, the in Senegal, 41 (International Center percentResearchversus for Girls Count, 44 Wed: Education & Action Toward Ending Child Marriage,

of 16 figures 6. on

girls with percent are 60

no schooling are of their educated percent versus 10;

Women, Too Young to

http://www.icrw.org/docs/2006_cmtoolkit/cm_all.pdf [2007].)

A survey in India found that girls who married were twice as likely to report being beaten, slapped, threatened by their husbands as were girls Research who married later. (International Center for on Women, Development
Healthy Adolescents [2005], analysis of quantitative data collected in select sites in India [survey conducted in 2004].) baseline survey the states of

before age or
Initiative on Bihar and

18
Supporting Jharkhand,

Health

Medical complications from pregnancy are the among girls ages 15 to 19 worldwide. Compared women ages 20 to 24, girls ages 10 times more Nations to die from childbirth, and (United likely Childrens Fund, Equality, Development andgirls Peace, to twice as http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/pub_equality_en.pdf [New York: UNICEF, 2000], 19.) likely, worldwide. 75 percent of 15HIV in Africa are female,up 2001. Coalition on (Global Women and AIDS, for Action on Women and AIDS, Girls Count, 48 to from 24-year-olds living 62 percent

leading cause of with to 14 are 15 to 19

death five are up

with in

Keeping the Promise: An Agenda

http://data.unaids.org/pub/Booklet/2006/20060530_FS_Keeping_Promise_en.pdf[2006a].)

girleffect.org