The Moment Of Lift by Melinda Gates
(Format for this read: Audiobook)
My sister in law (whose name is also Melinda 😃) recommended this book to me and I am glad she did.
At first I was a tad reluctant.
I was all “Bill Gates wife wrote a book about how to empower women? Is this gonna be some privileged rich white lady talking about how awesome she is making the world a better place with all the money she raises and ‘work’ she does for charity?”
Quick answer: Nope. That’s not what this is at all.
Here is a summary:
“A debut from Melinda Gates, a timely and necessary call to action for women’s empowerment.
“How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings – and especially for women? Because when you lift up women, you lift up humanity.”
For the last twenty years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift a society up, you need to stop keeping women down.
In this moving and compelling book, Melinda shares lessons she’s learned from the inspiring people she’s met during her work and travels around the world. As she writes in the introduction, “That is why I had to write this book―to share the stories of people who have given focus and urgency to my life. I want all of us to see ways we can lift women up where we live.”
Melinda’s unforgettable narrative is backed by startling data as she presents the issues that most need our attention―from child marriage to lack of access to contraceptives to gender inequity in the workplace. And, for the first time, she writes about her personal life and the road to equality in her own marriage. Throughout, she shows how there has never been more opportunity to change the world―and ourselves.
Writing with emotion, candor, and grace, she introduces us to remarkable women and shows the power of connecting with one another.
When we lift others up, they lift us up, too.”
Funnily enough the author poses the exact question I said above (in more eloquent terms than mine of course 🤣) and addresses it directly.
Fact is, the Gates DO give a whole lot of money to organizations and charities BUT they ALSO do a whole lot of “on the ground” work and research. (A lot of research is in the book too which I appreciate)
I think from the words I heard on these pages is that they genuinely are driven to make all human beings feel valuable, respected and heard.
She talks a lot how her own Catholic faith is what drives her to action…how love for all is why she serves and feels it is her duty to serve. (She is also direct and honest about her disappointment with the church in these matters as well…ooooo weeeee can I relate to THAT, yall!)
While she did speak a little on her own life experience, I never got the impression that she was “tooting her own horn”.
Mostly what she focuses on is the personal stories of the women she has spoken to over the years and the changes those women themselves helped to create in their various societies to better the lives of not just women, but also of men and children alike.
I appreciated that she spoke on the importance of valuing other cultural traditions when trying to implement and teach change…many weeks, months even years that organizations spend with members of a community getting to know the people and why certain harmful practices and ceremonies (things like female genital mutilation, child marriage, domestic violence) are continued and practiced.
Most of the time those harmful rituals are continued because women are not seen as valuable…or at least not as valuable as men.
And their pain and struggle is unseen and unheard.
But you can not bust into an ancient cultural practice…even if it is hurting and even killing women every single day…and try to implement change.
You must have respect and conversation and relationship…ESPECIALLY with the women in the culture…and ask the community “How can we help?”
I feel like she wrote this book so voices that have been silenced can be heard. That is her focus.
Not her voice….THEIR voice.
Women all over the world should feel loved and valued and their bodies and personhood should be honored and respected just as much as men.
It was hard to hear a lot of the Womens stories in this book and I can not even imagine the pain and hardships.
I am grateful for their bravery and strength.
And I am grateful for women like Melinda Gates who use their privileged position to uplift them, support them, and encourage them.