It’s a fact – no country in the world has achieved complete gender equality. In over 190 countries, half of the population faces some form of discrimination because they’re female. In developing countries, gender inequality holds millions of girls and women back from reaching their full potential, preventing many from gaining an education, voicing their opinions, accessing healthcare, and deciding their own futures. In September 2015, at the United Nations General Assembly, 193 world leaders agreed to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a set of 17 Global Goals that aim to solve some of the most pressing issues of our time by 2030, including gender inequality. So, as the world looks towards this next stage of international development, here are 6 quotes from global leaders and activists that remind us all of the pressing need to stand up for girls’ rights and gender equality!

“Gender equality is the goal that will help abolish poverty that will create more equal economies, fairer societies and happier men, women and children.”

– Graça Machel (founder of the Graça Machel Trust and member of The Elders), on the far-reaching benefits of gender equality. 

“It is time that men and boys recognize the part they must play in gender equality and join with the voices and actions of the women and girls who are trying to re-shape society in the interests of us all.”

– Jimmy Carter, former Present of the United States of America (1977-1981) and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, on the importance of engaging boys and men in the fight for gender equality. 

“When girls are valued less than boys, women less than men, they face multiple risks throughout their lives – at home, at work, at school, from their families and from strangers. Gender-based violence is a major consequence of gender inequality. It is a worldwide phenomenon.”

– Bukky Shonibare, an activist in Nigeria and strategic team member of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. 

“We need the talent and insights of girls today to lead our businesses tomorrow. That’s why expanding educational opportunities for girls isn’t charity. It’s a smart investment in a stronger global economy and in our future.”

– Indra Nooyi, the Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. Raised in India, she learned firsthand the important role that a supportive family and access to education can play in increasing opportunities for young girls. 

“We are the generation of change. We have the power and a new viewpoint and we’re going to change the world – watch us.”

– As told to Sally Armstrong, author, human rights activist and journalist, and Plan Canada’s very own Celebrated Ambassador. She shares the inspiring words of a young girl she met during her travels across the globe. 

“What is happening today is the culmination of all the waves of women’s efforts that went before. Once change like this begins…the momentum picks up and it becomes unstoppable.”

– Sally Armstrong on the growing movement for girls’ rights and gender equality. These quotes are drawn from Plan International’s Because I am a Girl State of the World’s Girls 2015 report, The Unfinished Business of Girls’ Rights. The report, which includes insight from global leaders, journalists, activists and over 4,000 adolescent girls from around the world, explores why, in 2015, girls continue to lose out on their rights. Read the report at: becauseiamagirl.ca/unfinishedbusiness 

A #BrighterFuture for girls

Join the global movement of girls, boys, men and women, standing up for girls’ rights around the world! Share how you’re supporting a #BrighterFuture for girls everywhere and championing gender equality.