The Global Partnership for Education (GPE), hosted by the World Bank, has said that 118 million girls are out of school worldwide, with limited educational opportunities for them amounting to an estimated $30 trillion loss in lifetime productivity and earnings.

The GPE stated this in a report titled Why Invest in Girls’ Education.

In the report, it noted that girls have the right to quality education and must be able to continue and complete their studies.

“Investing in girls’ education is one of the smartest investments a country can make. It boosts economic growth, as every $1 spent on girls’ rights and education potentially generates a $2.80 return. It also curbs infant mortality and improves child nutrition. Just one additional year of schooling can increase a girl’s potential earnings by up to 20 per cent.

“Still, 118.5 million girls remain out of school across the world—a reality we cannot accept, which is also costing countries dearly. Limited educational opportunities for girls amount to between $15 trillion and $30 trillion in lost lifetime productivity and earnings.”

Giving a roadmap for improving girls’ education, the GPE said it is committed to achieving gender equality through education, leveraging its Girls’ Education Accelerator Programme.

“Designed to accelerate progress for girls in countries where their education lags the most, the Girls’ Education Accelerator offers countries a strong incentive to focus on girls’ education. This is alongside GPE’s other grants, including system transformation and Multiplier grants.

“So far, GPE has raised and committed nearly $180 million towards supporting girls in 10 of 30 eligible countries, with funds from donors, private foundations, and matched contributions from GPE.

“Meaningful advances in gender equality have been made in El Salvador, the first country to access the Girls’ Education Accelerator in 2022. The country is actively combating gender stereotypes that limit what a girl can achieve. With a combined grant of $5 million from the Accelerator and $10 million from the GPE Multiplier, El Salvador has used GPE financing to:

Develop reading materials for children and their families to challenge harmful social norms affecting girls’ education prospects in higher grades and future employment.

Revise national education assessments to eliminate gender biases, such as reinforcing family care roles for girls while overlooking women’s employment in science and technology.

“In Zimbabwe, financing from the Girls’ Education Accelerator is supporting 194,000 girls through scholarships, the promotion of safe learning environments, an early warning system to prevent school dropouts, and the development of a national life skills curriculum. This initiative aims to boost self-esteem, confidence, and social support while fostering study groups.”

The GPE stressed the need for increased funding to address gender disparities in education.

“We need more girl-focused financing. Grants from the Girls’ Education Accelerator have encouraged countries to not only examine the factors causing educational disadvantages for girls but also to mainstream gender equality across the entire education sector.

“There is now a large pipeline of countries eligible for and interested in accessing the Girls’ Education Accelerator. These include Nigeria and Pakistan, which have some of the highest rates of child marriage globally but lack sufficient funds to tackle these challenges.

“The Accelerator’s oversubscription underscores a growing commitment to girls’ education among our partner countries. However, this commitment must be backed with resources. Otherwise, we risk failing to support interventions that address the root causes of why thousands of girls—especially in the world’s most marginalised communities—are unable to access the life-changing benefits of quality education.”

The GPE added that investing in girls’ education and creating safe, inclusive learning environments would lay the foundation for economic growth and ensure that every girl reaches her full potential.

“We must sustain collective efforts to fund transformative education initiatives for gender equality. It is crucial that all partners join this cause.”