Quality Education for Girls: Implications for achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Developing countries

Dr. Irene A. Ashioya

Gender parity, cost-benefit, social returns, mortality rate.

The Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) were overtaken by events and were replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on 15th Sept. 2015. Countries adopted a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all and part of a new development agenda. Seventeen (17) SDGs were adopted. The concept of SDGs was born at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development at Rio de Janeiro in 2012.(Murphy, 2010) Girls’ education reduces poverty in all its forms (SDG no. 1) and ends hunger through achieving food security (SDG no.2). Quality education for girls reduces fertility rates hence slows population explosion; lowers infant and maternal mortality rates and improves health and nutrition and well- being of families (SDG No, 3). Educated mothers ensure better prospects of education for their children (SDG no.4). Despite the strides made, 57 million children in the world are still out of school. Gender equality (SDG no. 5) can also be achieved by empowering more women and girls. Increasing access to education for girls is expected to bridge the gap and bring about gender parity at all levels of representation. Today gender disparities still exist. More importantly, women need to be educated to ensure that they all access clean water and get better sanitation for all (SDG no. 6). A total of 663 million people worldwide are still without water. Education is a prime mover of social, cultural and economic development of any nation hence it raises economic productivity (SDG no 12). The education of girls today is widely recognized as the most effective development investment a country can make. Women are the foundation of life due to their multiple and critical roles in the family. Their education therefore acts as a springboard for sustainable development hence the best strategy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. A cost-benefit analysis has revealed that women’s education has enormous social returns(Kizerbo, 1991). Seven of the seventeen SDGs will be addressed in this review.

10.22161/ijaers/3.10.39