The thirteenth birthday is a big deal for any kid, as it marks the beginning of their teenage years. But at that age one does not really understand the changes coming up ahead. It’s the parents that anticipate the years to follow.
So when Melinda Gates’ youngest daughter Phoebe turned 13 this week, she sincerely wished for her little girl to live a full, healthy, happy life and rise as high as her talents will take her. But that’s not all that’s on her wish list.
Melinda is the co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that supports partners around the world, including India to help improve living conditions and make a significant investment that will benefit those in need. Being so closely involved with the problems of third-world countries like ours, she knows that the 13th birthday is not the same for the girls around the globe. In her interview with Time magazine, she says, “Women and girls still face insurmountable barriers to being able to fully participate in society, and adolescence is the time when these gender inequalities really begin showing.”
She points out how at this age Phoebe and most other teenagers in the US will be taken over with life choices like what to study and what they want to do when they grow up. They’ll be also be taken over by other decisions like getting a driver’s license and experiencing new things.
But through her travels she has met teenage girls and has realised that in many parts of the world, entering your teenage years is a whole different thing. It means the end of education if you’re a girl. The brothers of these same girls are allowed to keep learning but the women are kept home to help with chores. And it doesn’t end there. At 18, one in three girls becomes a bride and many of them are forced into marriages against their will too. After marriage, tens of thousands of these young brides will have babies and will have to take on responsibilities before they themselves are emotionally or physically ready.
She told Time magazine, “The tragedy of all this wasted human potential was driven home for me when I spoke to teenage brides in India earlier this year. It wrenched my heart when they told me that they can’t imagine themselves breaking out of this cycle before it entraps their daughters, too.”
It makes her think about how precious Phoebe is to her; then surely all these girls must be precious to people out there too. So on the occasion of her own daughter’s birthday, she makes a special wish for all the girls around the globe. She hopes that in her lifetime, she lives in a world where every child, everywhere, boy or girl will have that same chance and opportunity as her own daughter.
She goes on to announce that in this month itself, representatives from all over the world will begin meeting in New York City to lay out global goals. These will be based on criteria that will shape the world’s actions and ambitions over the next 15 years.
She strongly believes, “Women and girls have an important role to play in building the future we want to see. That’s because women and girls don’t just benefit from progress; they help drive it.”
So by prioritising investments in women’s health, economic opportunity, and education, it will not only unlock a brighter future for them but will benefit everyone in the long run.
She ends this sincere wish to change the world by saying that she’s optimistic that in the next 15 years they will be able to break down these barriers holding women back, and this will improve society in general.
Image Courtesy: BCCL
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