Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

Was glad to work that Talkingheads' lyric into BFA on the subject of the crucial role of women in developing economies. No emerging women, no emerging market--simple as that.

This is a feature story in the 4/15, so both an editorial (The importance of sex, p. 16) and a story (A guide to womenomics, p. 73).

Key quote in editorial: "the increase in female employment in the rich world has been the main driving force of growth in the past couple of decades." Killer stat? "Those women have contributed more to global GDP than have either new technology or the new giants, China and India."

The subtitle of the story says it all: "The future of the world lies increasingly in female hands."

Two killer lines:

1) "In the emerging East Asian economies, for every 100 men in the labour force there are now 83 women, higher even than the average in OECD countries."

Take that, Asian "miracle"!

2) "Since 1970 women have filled two new jobs for every one taken by a man."

Interesting, yes, how globalization takes off at the same time the women's rights movement begins?

But the best line is an almost word-for-word lift from BFA: "In particular, there is strong evidence that educating young girls boosts prosperity. It is probably the single best investment that can be made in the developing world."

Okay, so not exactly word-for-word, since I don't include "probably" and I call it the Gap.

Great minds...