By Chris Mwesigye Bishaka
Today is International Women’s Day and the elite demagogues shall congregate at Kololo to waste yet another opportunity for real change of women’s fortunes.
Despite the incessant rhetoric, our sisters, wives, mothers and daughters continue to bear the brunt of poverty, poor health, poor education, lack of access to affordable credit, low social-political participation, etcetera.
The only way to give our nation a chance at real development and stability is to emphasize education of women.
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Educating women has several advantages, the most important being:
1) Reduction of absolute poverty
Each additional year in school raises a woman’s earning potential by 20%.
Women have a higher propensity to re-invest in their families than men.
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2. Enhanced health
Educated women have the capacity to make better choices regarding vaccination, nutrition and primary healthcare resulting in improved life expectancy for their children and the entire community.
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3. Social inclusion
Because educated women have higher earning power, their standing in the family and community is elevated which, in turn, can give them more of a say in important decisions and the ability and confidence to stand up for themselves and to do what is best for their children.
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4. Discourages child marriage.
Each year of secondary education reduces the likelihood of child marriage by 5%.
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5. Creates a positive multiplier effect.
An educated mother is more likely to put her own children into school – both girls and boys – thus creating a positive cycle for change and better hope for the future.
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Happy Women’s Day
