Her quote says: “Every society says its outsiders are the problem. Melinda French Gates once shared a simple but powerful message about how societies treat people who are seen as different or outside the mainstream. But the outsiders are not the problem; the urge to create outsiders is the problem. The statement shifts attention from people who are labelled as outsiders to the behaviour of the wider society. It suggests that the bigger issue is not the presence of people who are different, but the tendency to separate them from the rest of society.
Because of their background, beliefs, identity, economic position or other factors can sometimes be treated as outsiders, groups that are different.
Instead of asking why a particular group is a problem, it asks why society feels the need to create an “us” and “them” divide in the first place. “It’s the mark of a backward society – or a society moving backward – when decisions are made for women by men”. The first part of the quote points to a pattern that can appear in different societies. When this happens, those groups may be blamed for problems that are much more complex. The quote questions this way of thinking. The quote suggests that creating outsiders can make complicated problems appear easier to understand. When people divide society into groups, it can become easier to blame one group for wider social problems. This can also create a stronger sense of belonging among those who see themselves as part of the majority or accepted group. “Being a feminist means believing that every woman should be able to use her voice and pursue her potential, and that women and men should all work together to take down the barriers and end the biases that still hold women back. “If you want to lift up humanity, empower women. It is the most comprehensive, pervasive, high-leverage investment you can make in human beings. “That is why we women have to lift each other up—not to replace men at the top of the hierarchy, but to become partners with men in ending hierarchy. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.