Clinton Advocates Education for Women And Girls in Africa
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told an international conference that educating women and girls helps them substantially contribute to their communities.“The evidence shows conclusively that even one extra year of schooling leads to significantly higher wages for women and girls, which allows them to lift up themselves, their families, and contribute to their communities and countries,” Clinton said May 26 at the Paris launch of the UNESCO Global Partnership for Girls’ and Women’s Education.“We have seen that when women and girls have the opportunity to pursue education, GDP [gross domestic product] grows for entire societies,” she said.Clinton is the first secretary of state to visit the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
The secretary said the reason for educating women and girls is not only economic.“Birth rates, HIV infections, incidents of domestic violence, female cutting all decline when education rises,” Clinton told the conference. “Fully one-half of the drop in child mortality achieved between 1970 and 1990 can be attributed to increased education for women and girls.”At the conference, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the opportunity to acquire knowledge creates a new generation of mothers who raise educated and empowered young women.