In fact since at least 1962 they have been declaring explicitly that education is one of the key mechanisms that can lead to the eradication of poverty. Shaped by the debates taking place within the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, in September 2000 at the Millennium Summit the UN adopted the Millennium Declaration. After extensive debates and consultations with the explicit involvement of the World Bank, the UN Secretariat published the 8 Millennium Development Goals (hereafter referred to as MDGs). All U.N. member states have endorsed them. These 8 ambitious goals are commonly described as a "roadmap for world development by 2015":.
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality.
5. Improve maternal health.
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability.
8. Develop a global partnership for development.
In this paper I will focus on education as a primary determinant of human development, with special emphasis on gender issues, namely that according to the World Bank focusing on educating females would positively impact many other goals and lead to sustainable improvements such as:.
1. Activating a dormant workforce. That is certainly true in the case of post-primary education. Females with secondary education and above are much more likely to receive wages in the non-agricultural economy.
2. Better health for women and their families. Educated females have the confidence to seek medical help for themselves and their children. They have better knowledge on how to prevent various illnesses (HIV, malaria, diabetes, etc.). This will dramatically lower infant mortality and morbidity leading to much improved general health for the new generation.
3. Reduced fertility rates. Female education leads to the postponement of family formation and childbearing.
