“Give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling well, without further expense to anybody.” –Jane Austen

When it comes to women making their way in the world, Jane Austen surely knew what she was talking about—as this quote clearly demonstrates. During

Austen’s time, education was the key to moving up in society—especially for women. But the same holds true today, both in developing nations and here in the West. It has been shown time and again that an educated population is a prosperous population, and that education is a stepping-stone not only to professional success, but to success of all types.

Although our society likes to think that women have gained equality, the reality is that in many places throughout the world, women do not have the same opportunities as men. Although it would be nice to think that the world is going to go out of its way to provide these women with opportunity, the reality is that in many cases the only people who are going to advocate for them are the women themselves. By becoming educated and equipping themselves for success in social, political, familial, and business matters, women can build their own path to equality and progress.

For those women who are disenfranchised to the point that they are incapable of pulling themselves up and fighting for their own education, it falls to us to champion their cause. By making education for all people—men and women alike—our top priority, we can take great steps towards creating a world where equality and opportunity are available for all.

More about educating girls.By the numbers: Benefits of educating girls CNN.