Women & Girls

[viscousmemories]

I keep hearing that our best chance at fighting poverty, terrorism and a host of other social ills around the world is to invest in the education of women and girls. Bill Clinton said it when he was on the Daily Show last week, Sheryll WuDunn said it on Colbert last night and I swear someone said it on Bill Maher's HBO show the other night. Not that it's a surprising concept, it just seems odd to me that it has come up several times this past week. Was there a recent study on the subject or something?

[Dingfod]

But, but, but, who's gonna make my sammich?

[ZEZOZE]

somebody got a memo.

[Qingdai]

Not so much recent research, but an enormous body of research and evidence:

World Education - Girls' and Women's Education Initiative

Archived Articles on General Analysis on Poverty and Development
http://www.unesco.org/courier/2001_05/uk/education.htm

"In a speech to his fellow Ghanaians in the early 1900s, the visionary educator, Dr. J.E. Kwegyir Aggrey, declared, “The surest way to keep a people down is to educate the men and neglect the women. If you educate a man you simply educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family.” According to the World Bank, the good news today is that girls have crowded into school in record numbers over recent decades. This is very valuable progress, since the education of girls and women is one of the most crucial elements of lasting and sustainable economic and social development. Although there is hope and obvious improvement at a global level, certain regions are still falling behind." from
WHO | Gender parity in education

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTE...86,00.html#why

[Plant Woman]

Thanks Qing, I was to foggy today to find where I heard this so I could answer here!