Question

In many developing nations, young women have lower enrollment rates in secondary school than do young men.

Which of the following observations are consistent with greater educational opportunities for young women leading to faster economic growth in these countries? Check all that apply.

A. Greater educational opportunities encourage young women to have children, thereby raising GDP per worker.
B. Increased human capital increases productivity.
C. There are external benefits associated with greater knowledge in a country.

Answer 1

Greater educational opportunities for young women in developing nations contribute to economic growth through increased human capital and external societal benefits. These result in higher productivity and long-term improvements in the health and education of future generations, disproving the notion that having more children directly raises GDP per worker.

Step-by-step explanation:

In regards to greater educational opportunities for young women leading to faster economic growth in many developing nations, several observations align with this assertion:

• B. Increased human capital increases productivity. Educating young women contributes to the accumulation of human capital, enhancing their skill sets and cognition, which directly translates into higher productivity and, hence, economic growth.
• C. There are external benefits associated with greater knowledge in a country. When girls receive education, it not only benefits them but also their future children and society at large through improvements in health, reduced fertility rates, and a ripple effect of educating subsequent generations.

To elaborate on why option A is not consistent: while a greater number of children could increase the potential workforce size, this does not necessarily equate to higher GDP per worker. In fact, research shows that when young women in low-income countries receive more education, they tend to have fewer, healthier children, which can actually lead to more sustainable and robust economic growth.

Answer 2

B. Increased human capital increases productivity.

Step-by-step explanation:

Greater educational opportunities don´t really encourage women to have children (A), on the contrary, it is more likely that young women prefer not to have children while they are studying.

External benefits (C), such as the possibility of being better citizens, of improving communication and performance of people in society or of generating new solutions to different human problems, aren´t sufficient to achieve faster economic growth in developing countries.

On the other hand, one of the reasons why developed countries are rich is because their workers are more productive. Productivity does not mean longer hours of work, productivity means producing more with fewer resources and with better-trained workers. Therefore the option "B. Increased human capital increases productivity” is the most consistent with seeking greater educational opportunities for young women, which would lead to faster economic growth in developing countries.