Evidence shows that the realization of these rights increases the likelihood that adolescents will become economically independent, make informed decisions about sex, participate in community and civic affairs and be better equipped to obtain productive employment that will help end the cycle of poverty. As adults, they will also be better prepared to handle the global challenges facing their generation. That is the other side of the story - the Girl Effect. This is the story of girls who are counted, invested in and included in society. When a girl in the developing world receives seven or more years of education, she marries four years later. An extra year of primary school boosts girls' eventual wages by 10 to 20 per cent.