Girls’ Education: A High Return on Investment

Girls’ Education: A High Return on Investment

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Education is a basic building block for every society, and educating girls is an affordable and necessary investment with high returns. When girls are educated, livelihoods are improved, economic growth is increased, and civic responsibility is enhanced. In most societies, however, deep-seated inequalities between boys and girls results in unequal access to and performance in education. Globally, about 39 million girls are not enrolled in either primary or secondary education, while two thirds of the world’s 796 million illiterate adults are women. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is working to ensure equal access for girls to quality education in an effort to improve livelihoods worldwide. Join The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO, to learn about the importance and benefits of achieving access to education for girls worldwide. Business attire is required at this venue.