There are two reasons Melinda and I are getting behind a big push to empower girls and women in poor countries: a moral reason, and an economic one.
In very poor places, the suffering caused by extreme poverty falls disproportionately on girls and women. They get less (and less nutritious) food and worse health care than boys and men. They spend less time in school—if any at all—and have fewer political and personal freedoms. That strikes us as not just unfair, but immoral.
On the other hand, reducing these outrageous inequities benefits the whole society. Economies flourish when girls spend more time in school, when women can borrow money affordably to invest in their families. A lot of development programs end up getting their impact by understanding how to empower girls and women.
That’s the thinking behind Global Citizen’s push to get this issue higher on the world’s agenda. If you agree that empowering girls and women is a great way to fight poverty and improve lives, I’d encourage you to join Global Citizen.
We know there are lots of other great campaigns focused on girls and women. Here’s why we hope you’ll join this one too:
by MindMake via MindMake Blog
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