When we invest in women and girls, we are investing in the people who invest in everyone else. Melinda Gates More Quotes by Melinda Gates More Quotes From Melinda Gates I am Catholic, I was raised Catholic, I am a practicing Catholic. But I say we need to agree to disagree. We have a shared mission around poverty, and I focus on that, because we do a lot with the Catholic Church around poverty alleviation. I'm always looking for: what is the common thread? What do we care about? What do we believe in? We believe in women around the world. We believe in all lives have equal value. Melinda Gates common-threads focus believe Bill [Gates] and I believe philanthropy can only be effective if it starts things and proves whether they actually work or not. That's the place that governments often don't want to, or can't, work. Melinda Gates government want believe It's important to remember that behind every data point is a daughter, a mother, a sister—a person with hopes and dreams. Melinda Gates daughter mother dream After a number of years dating, we decided we were good partners. Melinda Gates dating numbers years If we're going to make progress on this issue [of contraception], we have to be really clear about what our agenda is. We're not talking about abortion. We're not talking about population control. What I'm talking about is giving women the power to save their lives, to save their children's lives and to give their families the best possible future. Melinda Gates motivational inspirational children If I really believe all lives have equal value, and if I use contraceptives, which I do, and if I'm counselling my son and my two daughters to use them, how am I not serving the women who don't have access to the contraceptives they need? Melinda Gates daughter believe son Men make different investments than women do. Women tend to invest more of their earnings than men do in their family's well-being - as much as 10 times more. Melinda Gates different earning men As a woman finds economic opportunity, even if she's only earning a couple of dollars a day, if she can save it on her phone, she then makes different decisions for her household than her husband might. Melinda Gates husband couple opportunity I am inspired by the women I meet everywhere I go. They have to work so hard just to make sure their families survive, but somehow they stay optimistic and do everything in their power to make the future better than the past. Melinda Gates inspired optimistic past Now we just really need to do the work, which we're doing, to get contraceptives out to women worldwide. Melinda Gates contraceptives needs The biggest killers of children around the world are two things: diarrhea and pneumonia. When you think about it, in the United States, kids don't die of diarrhea anymore, but it's a huge problem in the developing world. Melinda Gates kids children thinking In the United States, there's definitely some controversy about birth control in general, and I think we needed to split the debate and have people realize that we actually agree as a country about contraceptives. Over 93 percent of American women say they use contraceptives, and they feel very good about it. Melinda Gates country people thinking I realized that the only way to get into a good college was to be valedictorian or salutatorian. So that was my goal. Melinda Gates goal college way I'm constantly saying to myself, 'I'm lucky I was born in the United States. Melinda Gates united-states born lucky Helping people doesn't have to be an unsound financial strategy. Melinda Gates charity helping people If you can't travel to the developing world, look at helping to fund a woman with a small loan and follow her. Learn her story. Learn about the difference that you're making. Melinda Gates differences stories looks We also look at farming. Are we making sure that we're getting the latest seeds out to women so they can get a bigger yield off of their farms? A new type of seed that gets out to a man, let's say, that's drought resistant - because, of course, the rains are changing in Africa with climate change - if you don't put it in the hands of a woman, she won't necessarily get it. We look at breaking down all those barriers. Melinda Gates yield rain men Contraceptives unlock one of the most dormant, but potentially powerful assets in development: women as decision-makers. When women have the power to make choices about their families, they tend to decide precisely what demographers, economists, and development experts recommend. They invest in the long-term human capital of their families. Melinda Gates powerful choices long Everyone agrees that the failure of our high schools is tragic. It's bad business, and it's bad policy. But we act as if it can't be helped. It can be helped. We designed these high schools; we can redesign them. Melinda Gates change education school When we better understand the realities of these women's lives, we are able to design and deliver solutions that are more useful to them. Melinda Gates design able reality
