Thousands of Maasai women now have a reliable market for their milk thanks to a pioneering cooperative in Kenya. Women are typically the milk traders in Maasai families, with income from milk sales going toward daily household needs.

TechnoServe / Kevin Ouma

More than half a billion women have joined the workforce over the past 30 years. Women also make up 40% of the agriculture labor force. And nearly 600 million girls are growing up in the developing world. These are big numbers that prove women are a powerful force for change. According to the World Bank, countries with greater gender equality are more prosperous and competitive.

Progress cannot be made if half a country’s talents are never developed or utilized. For societies to thrive, women and girls must have access to education, healthcare and technology. They must have control of resources, land and markets. And they must have equal rights and equal opportunities. Closing these gaps can unlock human potential on a transformational scale.