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Fast Forward
How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose
Fast Forward (2015) is about one of the most underappreciated resources on earth: women. These blinks, which argue that women will be the key to this century’s greatest achievements, outline many of the myriad problems that women face, as well as the steps we can take to solve them.
- Feminists and human rights activists
- Anyone interested in global power politics
- People who want to make the world a better place
In 2009, Melanne Verveer was appointed the very first US Ambassador-At-Large for Global Women’s Issues. A co-founder of Seneca Women, she’s the executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security.
Kim K. Azzarelli is also a co-founder of Seneca Women and chair of Cornell Law School’s Avon Global Center for Women and Justice. She’s held senior positions at Goldman Sachs, Avon, Newsweek and The Daily Beast.
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Fast Forward
How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose
- Read in 15 minutes
- Audio & text available
- Contains 9 key ideas
Synopsis
Fast Forward (2015) is about one of the most underappreciated resources on earth: women. These blinks, which argue that women will be the key to this century’s greatest achievements, outline many of the myriad problems that women face, as well as the steps we can take to solve them.
Key idea 1 of 9
Women are the driving force of change in the modern world.
Just a few decades ago, it wasn’t unusual to hear statements like, “Women shouldn’t vote or drive cars and God knows they don’t belong in politics.” Disturbingly, such sentiments still predominate in some countries. The world is changing, however: women are gaining more power and having a greater impact on society.
In recent years there have been more female leaders, such as German chancellor Angela Merkel, American Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton and Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF. Those women fought hard to make it in a male-dominated world and they’re leveling the playing field with their success.
Women are also making strides in the world of business. In 2014, the United States had around nine million women-owned businesses that employed over 7.9 million workers and made over 1.4 trillion dollars in revenue. If, for instance, Egypt’s workforce contained as many women as men, the country’s GDP would rise by about 34 percent.
In fact, women are likely to be the force that drives this century’s global development. About a billion women are ready to enter the global economy – a number comparable to the population of China or India. These women will start new businesses, change the political landscape and increase the quality of life for both their families and their communities.
In the future we’ll also have more female entrepreneurs and business leaders, which will change the business environment. This is already happening and having a positive impact: studies show that Fortune 500 companies with three or more female board members have a 50 percent higher equity return than those all-male boards.
We’re on the brink of a major shift in global power. Women are truly poised to change the world.
Key ideas in this title
- Women are the driving force of change in the modern world.
- Women are still oppressed in most countries.
- Companies benefit from employing more women.
- Women across all levels of society need to be empowered – not only those at the top!
- Female empowerment has a number of positive effects on society.
- Women can develop powerful new enterprises when they overcome obstacles in the business world.
- Women need leeway to find their purpose and build a network of like-minded people.
- The three keys to ending gender inequality are education, technology and media.
- Final summary
