Warren Buffett, a famous American investor, once said: "If you want to be better than the macro coordination ability, Melinda is a little stronger than the brilliant Bill." ”
Melinda mentioned in this sentence is Bill Gates' wife, and although the couple is currently divorced, they have been married for 31 years together.
After Microsoft met Bill, the two quickly formed a family, and after giving birth to her eldest daughter Jennifer, Melinda gradually retired to the family to take care of the children.
But Melinda didn't get stuck at home, but worked at the foundation they founded, traveling to impoverished places around the world to fight for women's status and rights.
The book Women's Moments: How to Empower Women and Change the World, published in 2020, is the epitome of her experience over the years and her first book.
On the cover of the book is the sentence: "The world gets better, starting with the first woman to say 'no.'" ”
Today, with Zi Xin, walk into Melinda's world, feel her sincere heart that constantly strives for the rights and interests of all women in distress, and the great changes brought about by her.
【1】
Women's awakening begins with fighting for themselves.
I once read a sentence: "There is not a single pearl whose sparkle is painted by others." ”
From ancient times to the present, women's status and rights and interests have never fallen from the sky, but have been continuously won by generations of women.
In many poor African countries, such as Malawi, the African country melinda mentions in her book, women are traditionally allowed to inherit land, which is very common in sub-Saharan Africa.
Melinda says in the book that a woman named Patricia not only has no land, but also has no say in household expenses, and she will carry out whatever her husband says.
To help more women emerge from poverty and have more selves, Melinda and the Foundation came to Africa to work with farmers, especially women, to change the situation of women.
Even though the process is very difficult, Melinda has not been frightened by various obstacles, but has been running for women's rights and interests, just so that more women can find themselves.
The French writer Romain Roland said: "No struggle is done once and for all, and striving is a kind of repeated action every day, to persist day after day, or it will disappear." ”
Some time ago, the incident of the "chained woman" in Feng County, Jiangsu Province, was boiling over, and everyone could not imagine that in the 21st century, there were still women tied by chains.
Regardless of whether this unfortunate woman is insane or not, it is an indisputable fact that she has had multiple children after being abducted and chained for a long time.
While we mourn for her, we are more aware that no matter what period the times develop, fighting for women should always be the responsibility of the whole society.
I think that women must stand up bravely, do not fear any situation, and bravely fight for their own rights, which is the first step to having a self.
More and more women are also waking up, using the weapon of the law to fight for their legitimate rights and interests, so that women can get more self-choice in the family and workplace.
【2】
Women are independent, starting with education.
In chapter four, "Raising Their Heads, Girls' Education," Melinda said, "Education is a vital part of the process of empowering women. ”
Allowing women to receive a systematic education from childhood to adulthood is not only to make themselves independent, but also to play a significant role in educating the next generation and creating a warm family.
Specifically, education can reduce women's illiteracy rates and increase wages; education can also allow women to reduce premarital sex and delay the time of their first childbirth; education can also let women know how to ensure nutrition for their children, vaccinations, etc.
The book tells the story of Vicky, the foundation's head of basic education, who grew up on a farm in rural Kentucky, where her mother and stepfather wanted Vicky to stay in her hometown to marry and have children after high school.
But Vicky didn't want to live like this for the rest of her life, and with the encouragement of a friend from a relatively developed region, she actually got into college and won a scholarship to complete her studies.
Later, her stepfather called Vicki to reconcile, and Vicky worked even more fearlessly toward the future, becoming a state education commissioner dedicated to bringing change to more women.
The ancient Greek philosopher EpicTeide said, "Only the educated are free." ”
After women are educated, the power they contain will burst out, whether it is to improve their own quality or to change the world, it will have a very huge impact.
Kakani n'Dia, a Maasai girl from Kenya who dreams of becoming a teacher, made an agreement at the age of 13 that she would be circumcised, but he would not force her to marry and would allow her to continue her education.
Later, Cakhania got the opportunity to go to the United States to study for college, and after graduation, she returned to her hometown to establish a girls' school, which not only changed her destiny, but also changed the culture of her hometown and brought a new atmosphere to women's education.
In Zi Xin's view, education is the only way for women to move from ignorance to intelligence, no matter what kind of difficulties they are in, women must know how to strive for the opportunity to receive education, so that they can get out of the small environment and embrace the big world.
The times have developed into the twenty-first century, and women should know more about the principle of "knowledge changes destiny", use all the ways they can learn, and improve their abilities in order to achieve economic independence and personality autonomy.
【3】
Women realize the value of life, starting with hard work.
Scholar Xie Jueya said: "In everyone's daily affairs, the ideal future lies in starting little by little. ”
In the new era, women are gradually freed from the family, enter the workplace to work and earn money, and understand that this is the best way to realize their self-worth and dreams.
Melinda recounts her experience of graduating from college and joining Microsoft, and although her colleagues are all men, she is not deterred at all, and quickly integrates into this exuberant working atmosphere.
Just three weeks into the workforce, Melinda, 22, flew to New York for a conference and was the organizer of the conference, but she had never been to New York at the time, and she couldn't even get a taxi.
But it is this kind of work that is full of challenges at any time, so that Melinda has developed a strong work ability, and if she had not married Bill Gates later, I believe that her achievements would not be worse than Bill.'
Even though she had retreated to her family for three children, Melinda did not stay at home, but traveled around for the Foundation, helping women in need around the world and trying to awaken women's sense of self-growth.
American fantasy writer Brandon Sandham said: "The best in life is to be optimistic about life, happy to work, and excited about career." ”
No matter what kind of environment they are in, women must have the ability to work and earn money, not only to support themselves, but also to be able to make decisions for their own lives and realize the value of life.
I once saw a woman's online help, saying that her child went to kindergarten at the age of three, and she wanted to find a job after three years of full-time, but her husband would not let her, saying that as long as she took the child well and did the housework well.
But she is not willing to live this kind of life of asking for money from her husband, and she can't stand that her husband often taunts her, "Don't you just take a child?" Tired what tired? Such words.
In the concept of Zi Xin, the duty of women is not only to do housework with children, but also to bravely enter the workplace and obtain their own position by honing their work ability, in order to fight side by side with men.
Never confine yourself to children and housework, go to the vast world, to achieve their dreams, this is the free life that all women should have.
【4】
Know how to live for yourself, in order to have a good future.
Once read a sentence: "You have to learn to live for yourself, earn money to support yourself, and your life can't always be dominated by others." ”
Everyone is born as an independent individual, and cannot become a male or a subordinate to the family because he is a woman, which is a denial of the female self.
Champa, a 22-year-old young mother from a tribal area in central India, whose 2-year-old daughter needed treatment for severe malnutrition, was not allowed to take her daughter with her.
The reason is that Champa has to cook for her family, which shocks Melinda and begins to study how many women are trapped in "unpaid labor" such as trivial housework, and are ruthlessly exploited by family and society.
According to global data, women spend on average twice as much time as men, meaning that women spend 7 more years of unpaid labor than men in their lifetime, which is equivalent to the time to complete undergraduate and master's degrees.
Not to get yourself caught up in endless housework, and not to bury your personality and thoughts, is the awareness that women all over the world should have.
Melinda argues in the book: "We women must inspire each other, not to replace men and ascend to the top of power, but to work with men to end inequality." ”
In September 2020, 56-year-old Su Min drove a car she bought with a loan, escaped from her suffocating home, and began a road trip to live for herself.
For more than thirty years, Su Min had to wash and cook, take care of the children, and clean up, and her husband not only did not give her a penny, but also often punched and kicked her.
With the idea of Zi Xin, many women may not be able to do su min's freeness, but at least they should wake up to the fact that their lives are not only family, but also a place for themselves.
Only when you really know how to live for yourself, and according to your own ideas, do what you want to do, and truly become your own master, this trip to the world is not in vain.
【5】
In May 2021, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates announced their divorce, and the divorce declaration said: "After a long period of deliberation, we decided to end our marriage..."
For a time, the whole world was shocked, it turned out that the model couple in everyone's mind had actually come to the end of marriage, was there still true love in this world?
But Melinda was not depressed, but quickly changed back to her real name Melinda French, saying: "I hope Gates is doing well, but we will not be friends again." ”
Life is always so unexpected, but women who can control their own destiny will never be defeated by fate, but will soon be able to cheer up and continue to live their glory.
As Melinda says, "We see ourselves in others, and we look at others as if we were ourselves." ”
It is expected that all women can have the right to be autonomous in life, whether they are educated or start a family, they can always follow their hearts, make choices that are true to their hearts, and finally live the way they want to be.