Why is girls’ education an economic growth lever?

Why girls’ education is more than just the right thing to do: Investing in female education doesn’t just empower women — it lifts entire economies. That’s the takeaway from a recent World Economic Forum (WEF) report, which argues female education is one of the most powerful tools for driving long-term productivity and inclusive growth. The global case is clear — but in Egypt, the picture remains more complex, shaped by uneven progress, shifting attitudes, and structural challenges.

What the GDP math tells us: The WEF cites World Bank estimates suggesting that achieving universal secondary education for girls could add USD 15-30 tn in lifetime productivity and earnings to global GDP. Education has accounted for around half of all economic growth over the past three decades, and closing the gender gap in access to education is essential to making that growth inclusive and sustainable, the report notes.

The impact goes far beyond the macro: Girls who complete secondary education are significantly less likely to become child brides, more likely more likely to raise healthier families, and better positioned to lift their communities out of poverty and pass those gains on to future generations.

A looming crisis in parts of Africa: The report warns that in many parts of Africa, particularly in rural communities, progress in girls’ education has stalled. In South Sudan, Just one in ten girls finish primary school, with around 40% of girls who drop out of school citing early pregnancy or marriage as the reason. The consequences of exclusion are steep: nine in ten children in Africa are unable to read a simple sentence by age 10 — a situation the WEF describes as “an economic catastrophe.”

What the data says about Egypt: The number of female dropouts in primary school in Egypt between the academic years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 was 0.2%, in comparison to 0.3% for males, according to Capmas’ Annual Bulletin of Pre-university Education for the Academic 2023/2-24. But that trend reverses at the preparatory level, where girls’ dropout rate climbs to 0.7%, compared to 0.6% for boys.

What’s working across the continent: Cost-effective education models built around technology, structured lesson plans, and targeted teacher training are making a difference. In countries like Kenya and Sierra Leone, mobile and radio-based accelerated education programs have helped bring out-of-school girls back into the classroom. This model proved vital during the pandemic and may hold long-term potential for remote and underserved areas.

What the Egyptian government is seeing: The Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) reviewed the WEF’s report and echoed many of its conclusions. In a follow-up public opinion survey, 55% of respondents said they believe families give equal priority to girls’ and boys’ education. The results skew by gender: 60% of women agree, versus 51% of men.

The government is stepping up efforts to curb school dropouts, with a focus on girls in villages and Upper Egypt. The Education Ministry is rolling out stricter attendance tracking, expanding access to classrooms, and working to address a shortage of teachers to help keep students in school, a ministry source told EnterpriseAM.

A push to diversify technical fields and offer vocational training will help girls complete their education by developing their skills, boosting their economic prospects, and supporting growth in their villages, the source added.

These efforts are already bearing fruit. The nationwide dropout rate fell to 1.87% in 2022, down from 4.12% in 2015, according to data from the ministry’s Information Center.

This signals that while perceptions of gender equality are improving, gaps persist — particularly in rural and underserved areas. The government has yet to lay out a clear policy roadmap, but its endorsement of the WEF report indicates growing interest in tackling the issue as part of broader efforts to unlock Egypt’s demographic and economic potential.

One idea under consideration: Legislation that would put in place clearer guidelines to support girls' continued participation in education and economic life and criminalize school dropouts, — one that sets controls “over their participation in economic life in the desired way,” the source said.

A strong link between population growth and girl’s education remains highly relevant: The success of the National Family Development Program, launched four years ago by the Planning and Economic Ministry, marks a significant transformation compared to previous efforts to reduce population growth, Director of the Demographic Center at the Planning Ministry Amira Tawadros told EnterpriseAM. Integrated work across ministries and agencies helped raise awareness about women’s health and economic empowerment, especially since the poorest families tend to have the highest birth rates.

Aid distributed to families on the condition of girls’ school attendance has led to a decline in birth rates, and therefore leading to a decrease in early marriage rates, she added. The digital platform linked to the initiative indicating awareness of women’s economic empowerment, and reducing their desire to have more children, Tawadros noted.