Women's education can also mitigate the negative health effects of low income. This has been demonstrated in China, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, and Kerala, India, where female education is a clear priority of government and health achievements are high, despite family income remaining quite low. Even modest levels of maternal education result in higher child survival independent of family income. This is especially striking in the poorest countries where each year of maternal education is associated with a 5 to 10 percent decline in child mortality. A study conducted in 13 African countries shows that a 10 percent increase in female literacy leads to a 10 percent decline in child mortality.
Male literacy has little influence.
In Peru, seven or more years of maternal education reduces mortality risks by 75 percent. 2 Delayed Marriage Educated women tend to marry later, with implications for their economic opportunities and choices, and for fertility. In Africa, women with seven or more years of schooling marry five years later than women with no education. While the effect on age at first birth is not uniform across Africa, it has increasing importance in some countries, including Kenya and Ghana. 1 Lower Fertility Educated women have lower desired and actual family size.