Dear Still4Hill,There has never been a better time to be born female. That’s the conclusion of a sweeping new global report that Chelsea, Melinda Gates, and I were thrilled to unveil yesterday morning. It’s called The Full Participation Report, and we can’t wait for you to see for yourself the gains that women and girls have made around the world – as well as the gaps that remain.
At NoCeilings.org, you can explore more than two decades of data from more than 190 countries and the compelling stories of women and girls from around the world that make all the statistics come alive.
We’re excited for you to dig into this data yourself – to use it, share it, learn from it, and get motivated by it. You can learn something fast or take a deep dive into the areas that interest you most. I hope you’ll visit the site today.
It’s been twenty years since the 1995 UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where the international community pledged to work toward the full participation of women and girls in all aspects of life. Today, two decades later, it’s time to take stock.
Visit NoCeilings.org to see how far we’ve come.There are real gains to celebrate, including more laws protecting the rights of women, more girls going to primary school, and more mothers getting access to services that can keep them healthy. Yet despite this progress, significant gaps remain around the world, including in the United States, especially in the areas of security, economic opportunity, and leadership. The evidence is clear: When it comes to gender equality, we’re just not there yet.
This data proves that progress is indeed possible, but it is not inevitable. More needs to be done to fulfill our promise and ensure that every woman and girl has the opportunity to live up to her God-given potential.
Visit NoCeilings.org to explore the gains and the gaps.
We all have a role to play in building a world of shared prosperity and opportunity. Join us as we work together to make full participation a reality in the 21st century.
Sincerely,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Clinton
No Ceilings 
20 years of global data compiled by No Ceilings show that while progress is possible, more must be done to achieve ‘full and equal participation’ for women and girls worldwide
New York, NY — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Gates Foundation Co-Chair Melinda Gates and Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton will join global and community leaders for the official release of the No Ceilings Full Participation Report and data visualization site NoCeilings.org on Monday, March 9, at 11:00am in New York City. The release coincides with the commencement of the 59th session of the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women.
The No Ceilings Full Participation Report is the culmination of a year-long effort to aggregate and analyze new and existing global data by the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in collaboration with The Economist Intelligence Unit, UCLA WORLD Policy Analysis Center, and Fathom Information Design. This comprehensive data is available in written form, as well as through a collection of interactive and sharable visualizations, graphics, stories, and compelling videos produced by Scratch, a division of Viacom. The data is open and easily downloadable.
The No Ceilings Full Participation Report and NoCeilings.org builds on the momentum of “NOT THERE,” an awareness effort launched on International Women’s Day, which brought together leading publications, fashion and consumer brands, celebrities, artists, and members of the social media community to make the point that we’re “not there” yet on issues of gender equality, both at home and abroad.
The No Ceilings data advances the evidence-based case for gender equality. The analysis finds that progress is possible – particularly when countries commit resources and political will. However, more must be done to accelerate the pace of change and achieve the full participation of women and girls in the 21st century.
The report and NoCeilings.org identifies and brings to life the significant gains women and girls have made – and the gaps that still remain – since the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, when Secretary Clinton called on the international community to ensure “women’s rights are human rights.” Key highlights from the report and data include:
- Significant progress has been made in the areas of health and education; for example, the rate of maternal mortality has almost been cut in half since 1995, and the gap between the number of boys and girls completing primary schools globally has nearly closed.
- In other areas, the pace of change has been far too slow, including women’s economic participation, leadership, and security. Even where there has been progress, the gains have not been shared by all: geography, income, age, race, ethnicity disability, sexual orientation, and cultural norms remain powerful determinants of a woman’s chance at equal rights and opportunities.
- The world has reached a critical moment and can no longer afford to overlook the potential of half the population. Not only is the evidence about the benefits of full participation of women and girls to prosperity and stability stronger than ever before, but we have stronger tools to help accelerate progress, including 21st century technologies and dedicated private sector allies.
Findings from the report and NoCeilings.org will be on display and brought to life at today’s No Ceilings event: “Not There Yet: A Data Driven Analysis of Gender Equality.” The event, which begins at 11:00a.m., ET, at the Best Buy Theatre in New York City, will bring together and showcase the compelling stories of global and community leaders who are actively taking steps to advance the full participation of women and girls in their nations and communities. Storytellers, speakers and participants include:
- Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Melinda Gates, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation
- Her Excellency Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, President of the Republic of Croatia
- Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of LIberia
- Darril Astrida Saunders, Founder, Exotic Caribbean Mountain Pride
- Shabana Basij-Rasikh, Co-founder and President, School of Leadership, Afghanistan
- Ikram Ben Said, Founder and President, Aswat Nisaa
- Usha Choudhary, Secretary and Program Director, Vikalp Sansthan
- America Ferrera, Actor, Producer, Activist
- Nely Galan, Founder of The Adelante Movement
- Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH, President and CEO, CARE
- Wanjira Mathai, Director, wPOWER: Women’s Partnerships in Renewables
- Mrs. Mary Robinson, President, Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice
- Debra Sterling, CEO, GoldieBlox
- Dr. Lisa Su, President and CEO, AMD
- Genette Thelusmond, Auxiliare Midwife, Midwives for Haiti
- Dr. Marcela Tovar-Restrepo, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
- Uzma, School of Leadership, Afghanistan Scholar
- Yogesh Vaishnav, Treasurer and Program Manager, Vikalp Sansthan
- Melanne Verveer, Executive Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
- Bruce Wilkinson, President & Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Medical Mission Board
- Sheryl WuDunn, Co-author, A Path Appears
- Malala Yousafzai, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Co-Founder of the Malala Fund (via video)
Hillary Clinton
Still4Hill 