Ensuring all girls finish secondary education by 2030, it could boost their gross domestic product (GDP) by 10% on average over the next decade, a report by rights group Plan International and financial services firm Citi’s Global Insights team stated.

According to the study, a dollar spent on girls’ rights and education would generate a double in return, and boost GDP.

‘COVID-19 recovery plans that prioritise investment in girls’ education and well-being will help communities and economies build back better and stronger,’ Chief executive of Plan International, Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen as quoted by Reuters.

According to the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO, over 130 million girls worldwide were already out of school before COVID-19, and more than 11 million may not return to classes after the pandemic.

The agency said that girls miss out on schools more than boys, the UN, as families choose to invest in sons over daughters. Not only this, violence, poverty and child marriage are some of the factors that majorly impact their access to education.

The report is based on a study conducted on eight developing nations including India, Egypt, Uganda, Bolivia and Laos. The study called for measures to make education, health and violence-prevention measures accessible. However, some of the low-income countries could struggle to ensure that all girls are completing their schooling within the next decade, the report added

Analysing the report, Citi’s Global head of research, Andrew Pitt said that eradicating barriers to girls’ education and development might be the way to achieve many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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