19 quotes on gender parity from Davos 2015

Below are key quotes from the Davos 2015 session Ending Poverty Through Parity, which asked: How can investing in women and girls accelerate progress on the new development goals?

Some of the quotes were condensed for publication on Twitter.

“Patriarchy is bestowed on men at birth. Whether you want it or not, you have a privilege as a man, and you either fight against it and reject it by becoming a feminist man, or you enjoy the privileges that come with it.”
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Undersecretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

“With technology, we can achieve universal access to secondary education within a generation.”
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

“If you invest in a girl or a woman, you are investing in everybody else.”
Melinda Gates, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA

“Technology has brought many possibilities in education and health that are key to women.”
Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda

“A critical issue for women is the possibility to be a mother and the ability to participate fully in the workforce.”
Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway

“We put a gender lens on our whole value chain.”
Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever, United Kingdom

We know the answers but we have not used all the knowledge we have to make a difference: @phumzileunwomen #wef15 http://t.co/4Oyt6LxjIa

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

If you had parity of employment in Africa you would raise GDP by 12%: Melinda French Gates #wef15 #gendergap http://t.co/uB7wfphvt6

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

We should invest in women because it’s fair. It is a human right: @erna_solberg #wef15 #gendergap http://t.co/eVSXtC382N

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

We’ve cut the number of children dying under the age of 5 by half since 1990: Melinda French Gates #wef15 #gendergap http://t.co/vQ6eznaLpv

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

Anyone with a decent brain must know it’s better to hire from 100% of the population: Paul Polman #wef15 #gendergap http://t.co/WyNsKyxNHv

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

Women are driven by a deeper sense of purpose, they have a longer view: Paul Polman #wef15 #gendergap http://t.co/ijphHpv5oU

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

At the rate we’re going it will take 50 years until we have parity in politics: @phumzileunwomen #wef15 #gendergap http://t.co/srmIhpjgVA

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

Getting cell phones into the hands of women is an important step: Melinda Gates #wef15 #gendergap http://t.co/Gc7oj9zHcN

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

Technology is critical for universal access to education: @phumzileunwomen #wef15 #gendergap http://t.co/c3o3De4Imw

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

Technology can mean girls learning in safe places where there’s the threat of terrorism: @phumzileunwomen #wef15 http://t.co/y2vGc0ZDr3

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

Our brands are 80% there to serve women: Paul Polman #wef15 #gendergap http://t.co/iESpeIt9tU

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

What I’m most excited about is that technology gives women a voice: Paul Polman #wef15 #gendergap http://t.co/xQc2cHGE7N

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

We now have 10 weeks of mandatory paternity leave for men in #Norway: @erna_solberg #wef15 #gendergap http://t.co/jNmNjoZ17S

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 24, 2015

Image: Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Undersecretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN), addresses the session ‘Ending Poverty through Parity’ in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 24, 2015. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich