New research from Citi Global Insights and Plan International found that emerging economies can boost their GDP by an average of 10% if 100% of girls complete secondary school by 2030.Citi said collaboration is needed between governments, NGOs, the private sector and philanthropic institutions.
The 10% GDP bump would come inclusive of costs, which Citi found to be just $1.53 per day per girl. Over the longer-term, the economic consequences are far greater due to the ripple effect across families and local communities. The economic benefits of greater equality for women in the workforce are well understood, but the role adolescent girls play is often overlooked. Part of this is due to poor data collection. And when data is collected, it's often evaluated from a sector-specific lens — such as the impacts of investing in just education, or just health care.
The firm emphasized that health, education, violence and economic independence are inter-connected, meaning they cannot be tackled apart from one another. Given the scope of this multi-pronged approach, Citi argues there needs to be collaboration between governments, NGOs, the private sector and philanthropic institutions.
Interesting, ALL OF THEM LEFT HANDED