A United Nations study indicated that the single biggest factor, by far, in reducing the rate of death worldwide among children younger than five is greater education for women.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said in its 2016 “State of World Population” report, “Countries cannot end poverty if girls are unable to make a safe and healthy transition from adolescence to adulthood and become productive members of their communities and nations.”
The UNFPA report focused on the world’s 60 million 10-year-old girls. The report noted that the educational and other opportunities available to pre-adolescent girls, amidst the “flurry of life-changing events” on their horizon, will go a long way in determining the future quality of life in many developing countries.
