One hundred years ago, on the first International Women's Day, women around the world took to the streets to demand basic rights, including the right to vote, the right to equal wages, and the right to an education -- an issue that the foundation is deeply engaged in.
Today, as we honor those pioneers and celebrate a century of accomplishment, we should also look forward. In particular, we should ask ourselves: How can we build upon those accomplishments? What do we want our legacy to be one hundred years from now?
For me, the measure of our success will be determined by one thing in particular: the health of women and children.
On this International Women's Day, let us follow the example of the heroic women who came before us. Let us dream big dreams and make big plans. Let's work together to save the lives of mothers and children.
Here is my vision: within the next 100 years, but hopefully much sooner, women everywhere will have the knowledge and the power to save their lives, and the lives of their babies. Yes, it is ambitious -- but if we don't imagine it, we will never achieve it. Let us take our dreams and turn them into action; together, we will accomplish extraordinary things.
More to Explore:
• International Women's Day
• Photos: Saving the Lives of Mothers & Children
• International Women's Day Videos
Follow Melinda Gates on Twitter: www.twitter.com/melindagates
It will not only be the powerful woman of the world that change it but rather it will be the lowest, most restricted, who say ENOUGH, I AM EQUAL, I WILL STAND. And it will be sooner than you think. I believe my grandchildren will see it.
Today there are places where being a woman means you are hugely disadvantaged, especially for women living in conflict - places like Congo where 200,000 women and girls have been raped, or parts of Pakistan where Sharia law has been imposed. But in all of these places there are women who refuse to be passive victims, and who instead are taking action right at the heart of their communities, with the people most affected. Their work is rewriting the future, one person at a time.
My organisation, Peace Direct, supports women today to unite communities and stop violence. They train women to support themselves, they heal the trauma of rape and loss and they bring people from all sides of conflict together.
They have really big dreams - that one day no-one will have to pick up a weapon to protect their family – because war does not just kill through violence – it kills through a lack of access to healthcare, food, shelter or clean water – and if we are to achieve this dream of health for women and children – first we must achieve peace.
Please find out more at www.peacedirect.org/justonewoman
Best wishes from the Lion's Whiskers blog.