Publication: Malawi Economic Monitor, November 2018: Investing in Girls' Education
Date
2018-11
ISSN
Published
2018-11
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
The Malawi Economic Monitor (MEM)
provides an analysis of economic and structural
developmentissues in Malawi. This edition was published in
November 2018. It follows seven previous editions of the MEM
and is part of an ongoing series, with future editions to
follow twice each year.The aim of the publication is to
foster better-informed policy analysis and debate regarding
the key challenges that Malawi faces in its endeavor to
achieve high rates of stable, inclusive andsustainable
economic growth. The MEM consists of two parts: Part 1
presents a review of recent economic developments and a
macroeconomic outlook. Part 2 focuses on a special topic
relevant to Malawi’s development prospects. In this edition,
the special topic focuses on ending child marriages and
early childbearing as well as improving girls’ level of
educational attainment.Despite substantial progress over the
last two decades, girls still have lower average levels
ofeducational attainment than boys at the secondary level in
many countries. This is also the case inMalawi, partly
because many girls marry or have children before the age of
18, often before they are physically and emotionally ready
to become wives and mothers. Educating girls, ending child
marriage, and preventing early childbearing are all
essential to ensure that girls have agency, not only as
future wives and mothers, but also as productive citizens in
a wide range of roles. These are also enablers for countries
to achieve their full development potential, which requires
the full participation of all citizens to the degree to
which they are capable. The failure to empower women to
participate therefore represents a lost opportunity. This
MEM documents trends in child marriage, early childbearing
and girls’ low average levels of educational attainment,
with an examination of their impacts on a wide range of
development outcomes. It includes estimations of the
economic costs of child marriage and proposes a range of
policy options to improve opportunities for adolescent girls.
Citation
“World Bank. 2018. Malawi Economic Monitor, November 2018; Malawi Economic Monitor, November 2018 : Investing in Girls' Education. © World Bank, Lilongwe, Malawi. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/30902 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”