Aspen Institute/Medium: Building a Better Future for Girls and Women Worldwide
Donna Shalala, president of the Clinton Foundation

“…[G]ender equality won’t just change the lives of girls and women  –  it will change the world. Want to defeat poverty? Invest in women. Want to combat climate change? Invest in women. Want to reduce violence? Invest in women. … Investments in gender equity are among the smartest we can make. … All of us  –  girls and women, boys and men  –  have a responsibility to work together to achieve gender equality. We have a responsibility to ensure women’s equality under the law and in practice, as well as to eliminate social barriers that limit girls’ and women’s potential, and to provide resources, opportunities, and role models. All of these efforts will help to make girls strong inside. Building a better future for girls and women is not just the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. Together, we can not only inspire full participation, but achieve it” (6/26).