Nigerian school girls

Nigerian school girls





Educated women change a country dramatically. They tend to give birth at a later age, have fewer and far healthier children, doubles the work force, and strengthens a cycle of education and jobs rather than illiteracy, poor health and poverty.

One example of the power of girls’ education is Bangladesh, which until 1971 was (the seemingly hopeless) part of Pakistan. After Bangladesh gained independence, it emphasized education, including of girls; today, it actually has more girls in high school than boys. Those educated women became the backbone of Grameen Bank, development organizations like BRAC and the garment industry.

Again, I don’t know any terrorists, but it seems to me that our best bet is not to invest more in drone strikes and CIA infiltration, but to invest in girls, their education and their futures.

Read “What’s So Scary About Smart Girls?” in The New York Times.



From the fresh perspective of advisors on the frontlines of development to the insight of leaders like President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Pastor Rick Warren, In the River They Swimtells the story of change in the microcosms of emerging businesses, industries, and governments.