As an educated mother, an active, productive citizen, and a prepared employee, she breaks the cycle of poverty—for herself, for her family, for her community.
The Girl Effect
The Girl Effect, n.
The unique potential of 250 million adolescent girls to end poverty for themselves and the world.
Our focus is to fuel the girl effect. Why girls?
Investing in a girl—before she is married, pregnant and HIV positive—is a solution for poverty, not a cure for its symptoms.
As an educated mother, an active, productive citizen, and a prepared employee, she breaks the cycle of poverty—for herself, for her family, for her community.
When a girl in the developing world receives seven years of education, she marries four years later, and has 2.2 fewer children. An extra year of secondary school increases her eventual wages by 25 percent. An educated girl will invest 90 percent of her future income in her family, compared to 35 percent for a boy.
Multiply that by the 250 million adolescent girls in poverty, and you get the most powerful force for positive change on the planet.
According to a study released by the World Bank, if girls in Nigeria were employed at the same rate as boys, they would add $13.9 billion to the country’s annual GDP. India loses $383 billion dollars in potential lifetime income because of teen pregnancy.
This isn’t a social issue. It’s smart economics.
The Nike Foundation supports the Girl Effect with everything we’ve got. Our partners back the movement and so do thousands of organizations and millions of people around the world. We invite you to do the same.
Learn more at www.girleffect.org.