SXSW.COM | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 | SXS W O R L D 9
movements for gender equality from
around the world. According to Gates,
these grassroots movements are pow-
erful because they are led by women,
who often have a clear understanding of
just what changes need to occur.
"Not only do women's movements bring
a sense of urgency to the work that they
do, their deep knowledge of the customs
that shape their communities offers
important insight into solutions," Gates
wrote in TIME. "When development
policies are set from the top down, even
though they may be well-intentioned,
their impact doesn't always reach
everyone equally. Women's organizations
help drive progress that is more inclusive
and sustainable."
But these same potentially powerful
movements are all too often lacking
in adequate funding and resources.
As a result, the Gates Foundation has
pledged to invest $20 million over the
next three years to support such move-
ments. For Gates, it's a step toward
work she knows is necessary. "I'm
hopeful that in 2018, we'll do more than
imagine that future," Gates wrote. "We'll
start making it a reality."
Gates has been in "learning mode" for
Pivotal Ventures since 2016. After a
year as enlightening as 2017, we can only
imagine what other ideas she has about
what needs to be done to change ideas
into reality.
Melinda Gates will be a Convergence
Keynote Speaker at SXSW 2018.
Stay tuned to schedule.sxsw.com
for more details.
Melinda Gates. Courtesy of the Gates Archive
"It's easy to
dismiss the
whispers of one
woman. It's much
harder to ignore
a movement."
