The economic benefits of Mozambique investing in its 10-year-old girls are huge, says UN

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The economic benefits of Mozambique investing in its 10-year-old girls are huge, says UN

8:27 CAT | 25 Oct 2016

UN (File photo)

Mozambique is among the countries where the investment in 10-year-old girls proposed yesterday by the United Nations would possible result in the greatest benefits, according to a report.

In the “State of World Population” report released on Thursday 20 October, the United Nations Population Fund calls for investment specifically in 10-year-old girls, arguing that if this group of more than 60 million individuals enjoys a prosperous future, everyone will win.

Currently there are 125 million children in this age in the world, of which 60 million are girls who are “systematically disadvantaged” in comparison with the boys, the UN warns.

In the report, the organisation proposes ten ways of investing in girls that age, improving their education and health and banning practices such as marriage before the age of 18.

The UN study simulate what life would be like over the next 15 years for the 10-year-old daughter of Indian farmers, with and without such investments.

The conclusion is that the child in question, a fictitious character whom the authors have named Gayatri, would earn EUR4,464 euros if she left school before finishing secondary level and EUR9,386 if she was to complete it, leading to other gains, including marry later, having fewer children, a bank account and so on.

The dividend (the difference between total income in one and the other scenario) is US$4,922 in 15 years, the equivalent of over US$328 per year (an average which includes the years with and without income).

The authors of the report write that in developing regions, the greatest potential gains are recorded in the Eastern and Southern Africa, where annual incomes between 2016 and 2031 will meet or exceed the per-capita GDP.

“This could be the case for Mozambique and the Central African Republic,” the document, quoted by Lusa, reads.

A girl like Gayatri in Mozambique, where there are now 396,000 10-year-old girls, would earn US$7,920 without investments, but, given the right support, could earn US$16,653, or US$8,733 more over 15 years ($582 per year, almost as much as the country’s per capita GDP).

In Angola, with 363,000 girls 10 years of age, a girl like Gayatri could make US$15,000 more (for a total of $28,765) with the suggested investment.

In Cape Verde, with 5,000 girls 10 years of age, income would more than double from US$9,936 to US$20,892, and in Timor-Leste, with 14,000 girls that age, income would increase from US$8,640 to US$18,167.

Source: Noticias