Bill Gates Tells The Truth In Saudi Arabia

I HAVE BEEN reading The Women's Crusade in the New York Times, and came across the following passage and I knew I had to share it with you.

Bill Gates recalls once being invited to speak in Saudi Arabia and finding himself facing a segregated audience. Four-fifths of the listeners were men, on the left. The remaining one-fifth were women, all covered in black cloaks and veils, on the right. A partition separated the two groups. Toward the end, in the question-and-answer session, a member of the audience noted that Saudi Arabia aimed to be one of the Top 10 countries in the world in technology by 2010 and asked if that was realistic. “Well, if you’re not fully utilizing half the talent in the country,” Gates said, “you’re not going to get too close to the Top 10.” The small group on the right erupted in wild cheering.

Bill Gates just went up a few notches in my esteem. The article I've quoted here was written by Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas D. Kristof, the authors of Half the Sky and the creators of the Girl Effect. I urge you to throw yourself into helping girls around the world. Go to the Girl Effect website and get involved. Recruit your friends and family into the cause. This is a purpose we can all get behind. Join the Girl Effect on FaceBook to get updates.

Read more about how helping girls can save the world in the book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.