Conference Presentation, Panel
What Would You Do to Make the World Better for Women and Girls? A Conversation and Call to Action
Milken InstituteDiana Taylor, Michael Milken, Willow Bay, Susan McCaw, Shiza Shahid, Malala Yousafzai, Suna Saeed, Patricia Arquette, Helena Morrissey, Holly Gordon, Frida Pinto, Barbara Bush, Princess Rima Bent Bandar Al Saud, Paul Kagame, Faloruncho Alikija, Deborah Birx, Howard Taylor, Cherie Blair, Precious Molloy Motsepe
- The issue of women and girls is expected to expand beyond finance to become a central conference topic, driven by a direct correlation between the status of women and societal health, poverty levels, education, mortality rates, and conflict.
- Investing in equal education for girls is predicted to generate enormous human capital to solve global problems, leading to higher GDP, better health outcomes, more stable governments, and universal prosperity for business and society.
- Specific economic growth projections include a continuation of 7% to 8% growth over the next 12 years if women participate fully, alongside expectations to reduce poverty in Africa and address 60% youth unemployment in South Africa through female entrepreneurship.
- Major outreach campaigns anticipate reaching significant audiences, including 200 million people across 158 countries via Girl Rising, a national campaign in India expected to reach 750 million people, and technology initiatives delivering information to 100,000 women in Nigeria, Indonesia, and Tanzania.
- Health-related predictions highlight critical risks, noting that without intervention, half of women could be HIV-infected by age 24 and Africa cannot rise while 25% of its women have HIV; a goal is to ensure 7,000 young women per week do not contract HIV.
- Technology and mentorship tools are expected to yield high conversion rates, with 80% of Businesswoman app users finding new business, 90% finding new ideas, and 80% of women's income reinvested into families compared to 30% to 40% for men.
- Global workforce development initiatives project that 5,000 Global Health Corps alumni will reach influential positions, with 90% continuing to work in global health, while empowering young people to become responsible leaders.
- Regional and specific program goals include granting confidence to 10,000 women in Saudi Arabia, shifting perceptions of adolescent girls through the Ninyaminga platform, and empowering widows and orphans to achieve food security.
- Achieving gender parity is described as feasible through bold steps rather than incremental ones, with Rwanda cited as a model for progress that requires men to reject abandoning families and support women in all walks of life.
- Social norms are expected to be changeable, with an anticipated future where 300 million youth in India are unleashed as leaders and men actively support women to fulfill an egalitarian society.