How can the world experience more equality, innovation and a brighter future?

It starts by empowering women with more opportunity.

In his 2010 book, "Half the Sky" Nicholas Kristof, an author, speaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, draws from his international experience and stresses the critical need to empower women across the globe.

Recently, he brought this message to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the “Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide” program. During his conversation with long-time Seattle community leader, Martha Choe, Kristof conveyed a strong message.

“Our ROI is highest when empowering women,” he said, adding that we all need to invest in women globally to positively affect our global economy, health, safety and future leadership.

But where do we start?

3 Reasons to Empower Women Globally:

 

When women are educated everyone wins. In rural countries such as Africa and India, girls who attend school are less likely to marry young and are less susceptible to considerable health challenges during childhood. As adults, they tend to benefit from increased earning potential. According to the World Bank, one year of secondary education can result in a 15 to 25 percent increase in wage potential for a woman later in life. Additionally, those same women are more likely to have children who are healthier and educated as well. Kristof noted that some of the educated women he encountered during his work were also business owners within their communities. They often received funding through small business loans and guidance from community members related to loan repayment and best business practices. According to Kristof, all these factors helped kickstart the economy in the villages and reduced poverty.

Connecting the “treetops” to the “grassroots” is key for sustainable and impactful efforts. In order for social impact to be the most effective, according to Kristof, it is going to take the persistent understanding of local culture, customs, family dynamics and practices by the “treetops” (philanthropic or non-governmental organizations that fund the local aid and programs) and the endurance of the “grassroots” (local communities and field staff carrying out program initiatives). For instance, issues such as female mutilation practices, child marriages and community schools all require support, understanding and trust of the treetops combined with community engagement, education and sustainability at the grassroots levels. Kristof noted that program implementation was better received when leaders lived in the community because they were not viewed as outsiders.

“Men giving up power is really hard but it is necessary.” As Kristof spoke about the challenges women face and the oppression he witnessed, he relayed this message: women need to claim their own agency while also receiving open support, and most importantly from men.

Culture is important but not immutable,” he said.

Kristof shared an instance where one population used collaboration to change a local culture: female mutilation. Men from five villages met to discuss the cultural practice and the mental, emotional and physical health risks associated with the custom. They subsequently agreed to stop the practice.

 

Hope and Opportunity

Kristof’s work has allowed him to witness economic progress and see hope and opportunity for women on a global scale. As he shared his personal stories and experiences about memorable women he has worked with, his message left me with the overwhelming need to take action. My only feedback about the event is that I would’ve liked to hear more from Martha Choe, and her perspective about resolving women’s oppression issues. The challenges women face on a global scale will not be solved overnight, however, it is going to take all of us to empower them through opportunities with education, health and leadership. Doing so will lead to a stronger global economy, decreased poverty and reduced inequality.

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Original Contribution by Tessa Tenborg, member of the Editorial Team at Giving Compass and Community and Digital Marketing Specialist