Helene D. Gayle

Early marriage is most prevalent in communities suffering deep, chronic poverty.

A big part of leadership is just being comfortable with the fact that some decisions really are only yours.

There is no doubt that a woman's economic empowerment is very much interconnected to her health and the well being of her children.

We know that if you educate a girl, as the saying goes, you educate a nation. That girl will get married later, she will have fewer children, she's more likely to earn an income, and that income is more likely to be plowed back into the family so that the family benefits.

The difference between rich and poor is becoming more extreme, and as income inequality widens the wealth gap in major nations, education, health and social mobility are all threatened.