TO THREE HOURS A DAY, THE PARTICIPATION RATE RISES BY 20%.
I’M NOT ASKING YOU TO BE NICE TO
GIRLS.
GIRLS. I’M ASKING YOU TO PAY ATTENTION
BECAUSE IT’S AN ECONOMIC ISSUE,
NOT A WOMEN’S ISSUE.
JOINING ME IS THE AUTHOR OF A
NEW BOOK THAT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND
OUT THIS WEEK, "THE MOMENT OF
LIFT," MELINDA GATES IS HERE
WELCOME.
WELCOME. >> THANK YOU.
>> YOU SAY WE’RE AT THIS MOMENT
OF LIFT.
OF LIFT. THIS IS A TIME WE NEED TO COME
TOGETHER, BECAUSE WITHOUT ALL OF
US, MEN AND WOMEN ACROSS THE
WORLD ARE NOT GOING TO RISE
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. >> ABSOLUTELY AND EQUALITY CAN’T
WAIT
WAIT WE SEE THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES
IT’S WHY I SHOW UP AT THE UNITED
NATIONS PRIME MINISTERS AND
PRESIDENTS ARE TALKING ABOUT
HEALTH AND EDUCATION AND GIRLS’
EDUCATION FOR THEIR COUNTRY.
WE HAVE I FEEL IN THIS MOMENT OF
TIME BECAUSE OF THE ME TOO
MOVEMENT, THE NUMBER OF WOMEN
WHO RAN IN THE LAST MIDTERM
ELECTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES,
WE NEED TO USE THIS WINDOW AND
MEN AND WOMEN NEED TO HELP WOMEN
RISE UP.
RISE UP. IT WILL HELP SOCIETY.
>> EXPLAIN TO ME THE WINDOW IS
IMPORTANT AND IT’S IMPORTANT
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND,
WORKING ON IT BUT WE DON’T YET
HAVE SUCCESS
HAVE SUCCESS THE DATA IS NOT THERE TO PROVE,
WOW, WE’RE GETTING AHEAD
BUT BECAUSE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
IT SO MUCH THERE’S A COUNTER
NARRATIVE OUT THERE THAT WOMEN
ARE TAKING OVER THE WORLD AND
THERE’S A WAR ON MEN
IF YOU KEEP FOCUSING ON THE
ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN, MEN ARE
NEVER GOING TO HAVE A PLACE.
HOW UNTRUE IS THAT NARRATIVE
YOU KNOW THE DATA.
>> IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA LESS
THAN 5% OF WOMEN ARE CEOs OF
FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES.
LESS OF 2% OF WOMEN GET VENTURE
CAPITAL FUNDING FOR THEIR
BUSINESSES
BUSINESSES EVEN IN CONGRESS, EVEN THOUGH
WE’RE ALL SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS
CURRENT MIDTERM ELECTION, WHAT
HAPPENED, THAT WAS FABULOUS, AT
THAT RATE IT WILL TAKE US 60
YEARS UNTIL WOMEN HAVE PARITY IN
CONGRESS
CONGRESS SO THE NARRATIVE IS JUST FALSE
ABOUT WOMEN BEING AHEAD.
NOW, WOMEN DO MAKE UP 47% OF THE
U.S. WORKFORCE TODAY
AND MANY OF THOSE WOMEN HAVE
CHILDREN
CHILDREN SO WITHOUT A POLICY LIKE PAID
FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE THAT EVERY
SINGLE INDUSTRIALIZED NATION
EXCEPT THE U.S. HAS, WE’RE
PUTTING A DUAL BURDEN ON WOMEN
AND THAT JUST SHOULDN’T BE.
>> HOW ABOUT AFFORDABLE
CHILDCARE, WE CAN SURE USE THAT.
IN YOUR BOOK WE TALK ABOUT
FEMINISM, HOW IT NEEDS TO BE MEN
AND WOMEN.
AND WOMEN. DO YOU THINK YET FEMINISM
INCLUDES ALL WOMEN
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE
ENTHUSIASM AND EXCITEMENT BEHIND
THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT, THERE’S A
BIG PORTION OF THE COUNTRY WOMEN
WHO ARE NOT ON BOARD.
>> I THINK IT’S BECAUSE OF AN
OLD DEFINITION WE HAD OF
FEMINISM
FEMINISM I THINK WE HAVE TO OWN THE TERM
AND SAY WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO US
TODAY?
TODAY? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOUNG
WOMEN?
WOMEN? AND IF IT MEANS HAVING YOUR FULL
VOICE AND HAVING YOUR FULL
DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY IN
YOUR HOME, YOUR COMMUNITY AND
YOUR WORKPLACE, THAT’S FEMINISM
TO ME AND I THINK PRETTY MUCH
EVERYBODY WOULD SIGN UP FOR IT.
>> I WOULD
YOU WRITE IN YOUR BOOK YOU TOOK
A TRIP TO TANZANIA WITH YOUR
DAUGHTER JEN
DAUGHTER JEN YOU SAID YOU LEARNED MORE ON
YOUR HOME STAY THERE THAN ANY
OTHER TRIP YOU HAD TAKEN WITH
THE FOUNDATION, AND THERE’S BEEN
COUNTLESS.
COUNTLESS. WHY?
WHY? >> BECAUSE JEN WAS ABOUT 15, AND
SHE AND I WENT TO TANZANIA,
STAYED WITH THIS FAMILY FOR MANY
DAYS IN THEIR HOME
IT WAS HONOR AND SAMARI, I KEEP
THEIR PICTURE IN MY HOME
IT WAS A LOVING RELATIONSHIP
THEY ENTERED THE RELATIONSHIP
TOGETHER LOVINGLY.
TOGETHER LOVINGLY. AFTER THE BIRTH OF THEIR FIRST
CHILD, SHE WAS SITTING WITH HER
BAGS PACKED AND HER SON IN HER
ARMS AND SAID I CAN’T STAY
HE WAS HEARTBROKEN
HE SAID WHAT DO YOU MEAN
SHE SAID I’M GOING TEN MILES A
DAY TO COLLECT WATER AND COMING
BACK
BACK I CAN’T NURSE OR SON
I CAN’T COOK THE MEALS
HE WON’T GROW UP HEALTHY
SO MA SARI BROKE MASAI
TRADITION, STARTED WALKING TO
THE WELL TO GET THE WATER
HIMSELF AND HE WAS TEASED FOR
THAT.
THAT. >> HE WAS TEASED FOR DOING
WOMEN’S WORK
WOMEN’S WORK >> BECAUSE ALL OVER THE WORLD
WOMEN CARRY THE WATER, NOT MEN
EVENTUALLY OTHER MEN STARTED
WALKING WITH HIM, EVENTUALLY
THEY STARTED BICYCLING AND
EVENTUALLY THEY SAID, YOU KNOW
WHAT, LET’S BUILD AS A COMMUNITY
WATER PANS CLOSER TO WHERE WE
ARE.
ARE. SO BY BREAKING TRADITION HE SAW
THE UNPAID WORK AND SAID I WILL
HELP AND IT CHANGED EVERYTHING
ABOUT THE SOLUTION.
>> THAT’S AMAZING TO ME.
TAKE ME A STEP FURTHER, I DON’T
PEOPLE REALIZE HOW FARMING
RELATES TO GENDER.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME HOW GENDER
AND EQUALITY IS LINKED TO
FARMING AND IN TURN HOW IT
AFFECTS GLOBAL POVERTY
>> SURE.
>> SURE. EVEN OUR FOUNDATION, WE GOT INTO
THIS AGRICULTURE WORK, WE HAD NO
IDEA THERE WAS A GENDER PIECE OF
IT
IT THE REASON THERE IS OVER 50% OF
FARMERS IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD,
THAT’S PREDOMINANT MEANS,
ECONOMIC MEANS, OVER 50% ARE
WOMEN.
WOMEN. AND YET WOMEN WILL TELL YOU EVEN
IF YOU GIVE THEM A SEED, HELP
THEM HAVE ACCESS TO A SEED
THAT’S DROUGHT RESISTANT OR PEST
RESISTANT, IF IT TAKES LONGER TO
COOK THAT TYPE OF BEAN OR IT’S
SOMETHING A MAIZE-TYPE CORN
THEIR FAMILY DOESN’T WANT TO
EAT, THEY WILL REJECT IT
SO WE HAVE TO TAKE ALL OF THEIR
PREFERENCES INTO ACCOUNT,
THEY’RE PART OF THE FAMILY, AND
PULL THEM IN PRODUCTION.
IF WE’RE NOT GETTING THE SUPPLY
CHAIN OUT, WE ARE NOT GETTING
WHAT WE NEED.
>> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
LIVING PLEDGE.
LIVING PLEDGE. YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND BILL
STARTED WITH WARREN BUFFETT’S
IDEA TO DONATE
THE MAJORITY OF YOUR WEALTH TO
PHILANTHROPIC CAUSES
PHILANTHROPIC CAUSES YOU HAVE PRESSED MANY, MANY
OTHER WEALTHY PEOPLE TO DO THE
SAME
SAME BUT WE’RE AT IN MOMENT OF TIME
PEOPLE ARE PUSHING BACK SAYING
PHILANTHROPY ISN’T ENOUGH.
YOU CAN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO
IT BUT IT’S OPTIONAL
AND THERE’S AN IDEA FOR A WEALTH
TAX.
TAX. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THIS
>> THIS IS WARREN’S BUFFETT BIG
IDEA, THE GIVING PLEDGE.
WE AGREE WITH WARREN THE RIGHT
THING TO DO, IF YOU HAVE GREAT
WEALTH, BILL AND WARREN ARE
CLEAR THEY COULDN’T START THE
DEVELOPMENT THEY HAVE IN OTHER
COUNTRIES, WE’RE LUCKY TO BE IN
THIS COUNTRY, BUT PHILANTHROPY
IS NOT ENOUGH.
SO BILL, WARREN AND I ALL
BELIEVE YOU NEED TO TAX THE
WEALTHY MORE THAN YOU NEED TO
TAX MIDDLE-INCOME PEOPLE AND
MIDDLE-INCOME PEOPLE MORE THAN
YOU TAX LOW-INCOME PEOPLE IN
THIS COUNTRY
THIS COUNTRY I THINK WE HAVE TO ALL BE
COGNIZANT OF PHILANTHROPY’S
ROLE
ROLE ALL PHILANTHROPY CAN DO IS BE
THAT CATALYTIC WEDGE
IT CAN TAKE IDEAS AND
EXPERIMENTS YOU WOULD NOT WANT
THE GOVERNMENT TO DO.
>> BUT IT COULD ALSO DISAPPEAR
TAXES, THEY DON’T DISAPPEAR.
>> BUT IT’S UP TO GOVERNMENT TO
SCALE UP THOSE THINGS THAT WORK,
AS WARREN CALLS THEM THE GAPS IN
CASTISM THAT DOESN’T ALWAYS
SERVE ALL LOW-INCOME PEOPLE.
SO PHILANTHROPY HAS TO KNOW ITS
ROLE WITH PRIVATE SECTOR, WITH
NONPROFIT, AND IT’S ALWAYS UP TO
GOVERNMENT TO SCALE UP HEALTH
AND EDUCATION, FOR INSTANCE.
>> SHOULD INDIVIDUALS BE ABLE TO
MAKE -- WE KNOW WE LIVE IN A
FREE MARKET CAPITALIST SOCIETY
IN THIS SOCIETY, INDIVIDUALS
MORE TODAY THAN EVER HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO AMASS BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN PERSONAL WEALTH
DO WE NEED TO REVISIT CAPITALISM
SEEING THAT THE DISPARITY
BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR
HAS BECOME SO EXAGGERATED?
>> THIS EQUITY THAT EXISTS IN
SOCIETY SHOULD NOT EXIST
BILL WARREN AND I ALL BELIEVE
THAT
THAT YET WE BELIEVE A CAPITALISTIC
SYSTEM IS ABSOLUTELY THE SYSTEM
MOST PEOPLE -- I TRAVEL ALL OVER
TO VARIOUS COUNTRIES AROUND THE
WORLD, PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE IN
THE UNITED STATES AND BE IN A
CAPITALISTIC FREE ENVIRONMENT, A
DEMOCRACY.
DEMOCRACY. HOWEVER, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE
TAX STRUCTURE.
TAX STRUCTURE. WE NEED TO LOOK AT CERTAIN
GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS AND MAKE
SURE THAT WE DON’T GET THESE
INEQUITIES IN SOCIETY.
AND I THINK IT’S TIME TO DO
THAT
THAT AND I’M ACTUALLY ENTHUSED TO SEE
MORE POLITICAL CANDIDATES
PUTTING DIFFERENT IDEAS --
THERE’S NOT ONE I AGREE WITH BUT
THAT WHAT MOVES THE CONVERSATION
FORWARD.
FORWARD. >> TOMORROW IS WORLD MALARIA
DAY.
DAY. THIS WEEK THE FIRST APPROVED
VACCINE AIMED AT STOPPING THIS
PARASITE IS ROLLING OUT.
YOUR FOUNDATION FUNDED THIS
VACCINE.
VACCINE. YOU HAVE DONE MORE IN TERMS OF
STOPPING MALARIA THAN ANYONE IN
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO SEE THIS
THING COME UT?
>> WELL, I THINK IT’S FANTASTIC
TO SEE IT COME OUT
WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH GSK
TO DEVELOP THE VACCINE
NOW IT’S THE VACCINE ALLIANCE WE
AND THE GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN
PART OF THAT WILL SCALE IT UP.
I WISH I COULD SAY MALARIA,
THERE’S ONE MAGIC BULLET THAT
THIS VACCINE WILL SOLVE IT, BUT
WHAT WE HAVE COME TO KNOW WE
HAVE TO APPLY ALL OF OUR TOOLS,
BED NETS, SPRAYING, VACCINE.