Does U.S. Foreign Aid Need to Promote Basic Education for Women and Girls in the Developing World? (H.R. 4481)

What is H.R. 4481?

(Updated August 12, 2020)

This bill — known as the Education for All Act — would seek to promote universal education that includes women and girls in developing countries through the foreign aid that the U.S. provides such countries. It emphasizes that it’s in the U.S. national interest to promote universal basic education in developing countries as it boosts economic growth, enhances democracy, empowers women and girls, and decreases extremism.

It would be U.S. policy to work with foreign governments, international and civil society organizations to achieve a quality universal basic education that is sustainable by:

• Assisting developing countries and nongovernmental and multilateral organizations to provide all children with a quality basic education;

• Promoting education as the foundation for community development

The president would be directed to develop a comprehensive U.S. strategy to achieve these goals through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Relevant foreign aid would be prioritized for countries with the greatest need and opportunity to expand access to education and have a measurable impact on children and educational systems. Priority would also be given to countries where there are chronically underserved or marginalized populations, or people being affected by conflict or crisis.

USAID would designate a Senior Coordinator that would be in charge of providing this education assistance and responsible for the oversight of all U.S. activities and resources used to promote quality universal basic education.

Argument in favor

Education is a powerful tool for allowing countries to grow and marginalized groups to enter the mainstream. The U.S. should direct foreign aid for education to countries where it can have the most impact and provide new opportunities for women and girls.

Argument opposed

The U.S. needs to reevaluate its foreign aid programs in general, and while this proposal is well intentioned it won’t do much to help women and girls in societies with deeply ingrained traditions that restrict their access to education.

Impact

People who would have expanded access to a basic education as a result of U.S. aid, particularly women and girls; foreign governments; USAID; and the president.

Cost of H.R. 4481

The CBO estimates that implementing this bill would cost $1 million total over the 2017-2021 period and less than $500,000 each year.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) introduced this bill to improve the quality of education around the world through the foreign aid the U.S. offers:

“An education is the fundamental tool with which boys and girls are empowered to increase their economic potential, improve their health outcomes, address cultural biases, participate in their communities, and provide for their families.That’s why prioritizing children’s access to education around the world strengthens our national security and global leadership. Simply put, we cannot build the world we want for ourselves, and for future generations, without education at the center of our efforts.”

Lead cosponsor Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) emphasized that there are millions of children in the developing world who are either not in school or receiving an education that’s lacking in quality:

“I am hopeful that with this bill, we can better coordinate our efforts with global partners to work toward reaching the 124 million children around the world who are not in school and improve the quality of education for those currently enrolled.”

This legislation was passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on a voice vote, and has the bipartisan support of 40 cosponsors in the House — including 27 Democrats and 13 Republicans.

Media:

• Sponsoring Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) Press Release
• CBO Cost Estimate
• Basic Education Coalition