Earlier this month, I was honored to accept the prestigious Inspiring Women Award from the Grace Institute. I could not have imagined myself where I am today when I was growing up in Kolkata and volunteering from age 12 at Mother Teresa’s orphanage. Or when I landed at Smith College at 19 with my suitcase and scholarship package, terrified of facing an unknown future. Or as one of 5 women bankers in my class of 150 on Wall Street.
What a journey it has been – from Smith College to Wall Street to Columbia Business school to Corporate America and a sharp pivot to building social change organizations, I feel truly blessed. I am reminded of the power of the collective that has played a critical role in my journey in the pursuit of gender equality.
The third decade of this century has been extraordinary, and it has only just begun – a global pandemic, uncertain elections in the world’s largest democracies, and deep conflicts and war in societies that have brought into sharp focus the issues that are tearing us apart. The fault line is gender inequality – and its cause is staring us in the face – our society’s own failure to move beyond patriarchal self-interest and act for the common good.
At Equality Now, we are guided by a simple yet profound belief: that every woman and girl deserves to live a life free from violence and discrimination. It’s a belief that has fueled our work for over three decades, driving us to challenge unjust laws, advocate for policy reforms, and amplify the voices of those who have been marginalized and silenced. For those who care about economics, if women had equal rights as men, the world’s GDP would increase by $28 trillion. So why leave that money on the table instead of building women’s wealth and supporting communities? It was only in the mid 70s that women began to have access to credit and money, so it is no wonder that society today still carries much of these patriarchal values.
So how do we get to a gender equal world?
I offer you three strategies:
Smart Vision where we understand the legal equality is the bedrock upon which lived equality stands. By reforming policies by lifting the voices of those who must be heard, we strive to create a foundation of dignity, equity, and rights for all. We have changed 85 laws across the world around inheritance, economics, rape, child marriage, FGM, sex trafficking and digital violence. Violence you may not realize, is a multi-billion industry and we have to be really strategic and smart to overturn it.
Innovative Collaboration: One powerful example of this collaboration is what all of you have done at the Grace Institute to support over 100,000 women for over 127 years. You demonstrate to us that Together, we are stronger. Equality Now works in collaboration by creating Coalitions across the world. That gives this small organization of 80+ people around the globe a footprint of several thousand.
Seamless Execution: In a world that is incessantly pushing back against the gains we have made for women; we must never stop what we are doing. We dream, we plan, and we execute without missing a beat. We are guided by the vision we believe in to propel us forward despite all the challenges we face and as we see today, those are multi-fold.
When every citizen has a fair shot at fully participating and sharing in the rewards of growth, the economy will be resilient, and our future will be stronger. If women are held back the world’s glass will always be half empty. If we practice radical listening, learning in community and collaborating we can win and make Equality our common scorecard.
Equality Now is the call to action for our times.
Thank you again to the Grace Institute – I accept the award on behalf of my extraordinary team at Equality Now and all those brave changemakers who have contributed to our mission. Together, let’s continue to amplify the abundance we wish to see in the world.