NF BELIEVES IN AN IDEA CALLED THE GIRL EFFECT GOOD MORNING. THANK MODERATOR. NF BELIEVES IN AN IDEA CALLED THE GIRL EFFECT 8 YEARS INVESTING IN SOLUTIONS, RESEARCH, ETC. TODAY I WANT TO MAKE THE CASE INVESTING IN ADOLESCENT GIRLS IS CRITICAL TO BUILDING VIBRANT ECONOMIES WHERE INNOVATION FLOURISHES AND CREATES JOBS. AND I”LL SHARE SOME EXAMPLES OF NF ECON WORK. 1

HALF OF HUMAN POTENTIAL MY CASE IS PRETTY SIMPLE: GIRLS ARE HALF OF HUMAN POTENTIAL HALF THE BRAIN POWER HALF THE INGENUITY. HALF THE CREATIVITY. NEXT STEVE JOBS = CHILD BRIDE IN ETHIOPIA BUT THAT POTENTIAL IS BEING WASTED 100 MILLION CHILD BRIDES 16 MILLION TEEN PREGNANCIES LOW SECONDARY SCHOOL COMPLETION EVEN THOUGH LOTS OF RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WHEN YOU INVEST IN GIRLS GOOD THINGS HAPPEN. DELAYED MARRIAGE FEWER CHILDREN HIGHER INCOME

SO WHY THE IRRATIONAL GAP? HOW CAN WE REPOSITION GIRLS AS POTENTIAL ECONOMIC ENGINES WORTHY OF INVESTMENT? ONE WAY IS TO PAINT A PICTURE OF A WORLD THAT INCLUDED GIRLS FULLY. AND DOESN’T LOOK AT THEM AS A WASTED INVESTMENT.

AND FOR THAT THAT WE TURNED TO THE ECONOMISTS. WE COMMISSIONED A STUDY, WORKING WITH THE WORLD BANK, CALLED THE GIRL EFFECT DIVIDEND: MEASURING THE GAIN OF INVESTING IN GIRLS WE LOOKED AT 21 COUNTRIES. ASKED “WHAT WOULD GAINS BE IF COUNTRIES TACKLED THREE ISSUES: TEEN PREGNANCY, SECONDARY SCHOOL COMPLETION, AND EMPLOYMENT EQUALITY. THE NUMBERS ARE FASCINATING. BRAZIL COULD ADD $23 BILLION TO ITS ANNUAL GDP IF GIRLS WERE EMPLOYED AT SAME RATE AS BOYS. THAT’S 35X NIKE’S 2011 REVENUE IN BRAZIL. INDIA COULD ADD $383 BILLION IF TEEN GIRLS DIDN’T GET PREGNANT AND THUS ENTERED THE ECONOMY. THAT’S LIKE ADDING THE MARKET CAP TO YOUR ECONOMY.

SENEGAL STORY <BEFORE SLIDE> GIRLS GET OVERLOOKED BECAUSE WE THINK WE’RE REACHING THEM ALREADY. THE POPULATION COUNCIL LOOKED AT 130 YOUTH PROGRAMS. TWO-THIRDS OF PARTICIPANTS WERE MEN AND BOYS. FORTY PERCENT WERE OVER 20 GIRLS ARE LEFT OUT. THE MESSAGE ISN’T “SHIFT ALL YOUR RESOURCES TO GIRLS”. RATHER, IT’S UNDERSTAND THAT GIRLS HAVE UNIQUE NEEDS AND IF YOU DON’T DESIGN WITH GIRLS IN MIND, YOU WON’T REACH THEM. AND YOU WILL MISS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT.

+ SO WHAT’S WORKING PRACTICALLY ON THE GROUND? WORLD BANK AGI IS IN 7 COUNTRIES. DONORS ARE NF, AUSTRALIA, DENMARK, NORWAY, SWEDEN AND THE UK. DESIGNED TO OVERCOME PAST OBSTACLES NOT CONNECTED TO REAL JOBS. FUNNEL GIRLS INTO TYPICAL WOMEN’S WORK. MEET VERONICA PARTEH, BUS DRIVER IN LIBERIA THE INNOVATION HAVE EMPLOYERS HELP SHAPE TRAINING. NON TRADITIONAL ROLES: PAINTERS, BUS DRIVERS, MECHANICS, COMPUTER TECHS PROVIDE INCENTIVES TO TRAINERS FOR JOB PLACEMENT RESULTS 94 % HAVE COMPLETED TRAINING. 85% HAVE JOBS 100 PERCENT HAVE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS +

FROM TO GETTING ASSETS DIRECTLY TO GIRLS WORKING WITH THE UK GOVERNMENT ON A DIRECT ASSETS INCUBATOR. WE WANT TO TEST MODELS ON HOW WE CAN USE TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION TO PUT ASSETS – CASH TRANSFERS, SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, HEALTH VOUCHERS, ETC – DIRECTLY IN THE HANDS OF GIRLS. HOW CAN WE BYPASS BUREAUCRATIC BARRIERS? CARETAKERS? CULTURAL OBSTACLES ? AND GET RESOURCES DIRECT TO GIRLS. JUST GETTING STARTED. EXCITED THAT THIS COULD BE A WAY TO BUT GIRLS ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD AND UNLEASH HUMAN POTENTIAL.

CLOSE WITH A SHORT VIDEO. GIRLS ARE NOT THE ONLY SOLUTION. BUT THEY NEED TO BE PART OF ANY CREDIBLE PLAN TO CREATE THE VIBRANT ECONOMIES THAT CREATE JOBS. THE WORLD IS NOT REACHING THEM NOW – BUT IT CAN IF WE LISTEN TO GIRLS AND DESIGN WITH THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS IN MIND. AND IF WE DO THAT, THE PAYOFF FOR ALL US IS HUGE. THANK YOU

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