The former president hopes the revolution will 'elevate the status of women and the value of girls.' Clinton: Education ignited Egypt protests

The revolutions in the Middle East may end up keeping global population growth in check by leading more women and girls to education, former President Bill Clinton said Thursday.

“One of the things I desperately hope will come from all this political upheaval is that it will elevate the status of women and the value of girls,” Clinton said at a Department of Agriculture meeting for farmers and department staff, CNN reported. With improved status comes greater opportunity for education — and brighter education prospects, in turn, provide a noncontroversial birth control measure, he said.


“It wouldn’t be bad for American farmers if instead of going from 6.5 billion to 9 billion people on Planet Earth, we topped out at 8 billion,” Clinton said. “It would save more water, and we’d have more resources for our children and grandchildren.” The global population is expected to grow to more than 9 billion by 2050, up from just under 7 billion this year.

Clinton also discussed the peaceful protests that rocked Egypt late last month and earlier this month.

“Those young people who were interviewed in the streets in Cairo were about the most impressive people I’ve seen in a long time,” he said. “It was stunning that you saw what they were dealing with in terms of inequality.”

The protests happened because of education, he said. “Egypt maintained its university system and generated 400,000 graduates in a year and nowhere near enough jobs every year for grads to hold.”