Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions. GIRLS' EDUCATION Improving girls' educational levels has been demonstrated to have clear impacts on the health and economic future of young women, which in turn improves the prospect of their entire community. Research shows that every extra year of school for girls increases their lifetime income by 15%. Improving female education, and thus the earning ...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

GIRLS' EDUCATION

Improving girls' educational levels has been demonstrated to have clear impacts on the health and economic future of young women, which in turn improves the prospect of their entire community. Research shows that every extra year of school for girls increases their lifetime income by 15%. Improving female education, and thus the earning potential of women improves the standard of living for their own children.

Yet, many barriers to education for girls remain. In some African countries, such as Burkina Faso, girls are unlikely to attend school for such basic reasons as a lack of private toilet facilities for girls. Higher attendance rates of high schools and university education among women, particularly in developing countries, have helped them make inroads into professional careers with better-paying salaries and wages.

Education increases a woman's (and her partner's and the family's) level of health and health awareness. Furthering women's levels of education and advanced training also tends to lead to later ages of initiation of sexual activity, later ages at first marriage, and later ages at first childbirth, as well as an increased likelihood to remain single, have no children, or have no formal marriage and alternatively, have increasing levels of long-term partnerships. It can lead to higher rates of barrier and chemical contraceptive use (and a lower level of sexually transmitted infections among women and their partners and children), and can increase the level of resources available to women who divorce or are in a situation of domestic violence. It has been shown, in addition, to increase women's communication with their partners and their employers, and to improve rates of civic participation such as voting or the holding of office

. The word "barriers" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.