"Lucia Quachey, President of the Ghana Association of Women Entrepreneurs, puts it this way: “When a woman has a regular source of income, she becomes very confident and takes her own destiny into her own hands and her self esteem increases, this is empowerment!” This empowerment has broad positive effects on human development.

With five years left to go to meet the MDGs and disappointing progress to date, it is time to refocus the efforts of the UN and developing nations on approaches that work. Women’s empowerment will directly alleviate poverty and its ills, so let’s build on what the evidence tells us: Girls can rule!"

SEE WHOLE ARTICLE