This Sums It All Up.....

"When women are free to develop their talents, all people benefit: women and men, girls and boys. When women are free to vote and run for public office, governments are more effective and responsive to their people. When women are free to earn a living and start small businesses, the data is clear: they become key drivers of economic growth across regions and sectors. When women are given the opportunity of education and access to health care, their families and communities prosper. And when women have equal rights, nations are more stable, peaceful, and secure."
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton from her remarks at the UN Commission on the Status of Women http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/03/138320.htm