We can sum up the reason Melinda Gates inspires us in one simple phrase “her utter and unrelenting devotion to empowering women and girls across the globe.” In this interview with the Wall Street Journal she nails it when she says “You empower a woman and you change the world…We know that if a woman is economically empowered inside her family, all kinds of magical things happen.”
Here’s a snippet of her efforts to make this magic come to life:
- Shifting the focus of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation initiatives of eliminating disease and helping the worlds poorest people towards gender
- Steering the foundation’s resources to providing 120 million women in the world’s poorest countries access to contraceptives
- Going against her faith (she’s a devout catholic) to save the lives of women and children who have too many children because they lack access to contraceptives
- Demanding data-driven strategy to solve the problems facing women across the globe
Her dedication to women and girls empowers us to go out and do our part in making sure that women and girls get the opportunities they deserve for their families and communities to thrive.
She is truly an inspiration to all of us.
Be inspired.
