The 3Ls of Empowerment
by Christine Lagarde
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Delivered by Christine Lagarde, the first woman Finance Minister of France and head of the IMF, this speech argues that the greatest challenge of the 21st century is unlocking the economic potential of women. Women make up half the world's population but contribute far less than 50 per cent of economic activity, and per capita income lags where women are denied equal opportunity. Lagarde offers 'the 3 Ls' as the path to women's empowerment: Learning, Labour and Leadership. Learning is the foundation of all change, helping women break 'the shackles of exclusion'; an African adage runs, 'If you educate a boy, you train a man. If you educate a girl, you train a village.' Labour lets women flourish, but too often they are stuck in low-paying, low-status jobs and earn only three-quarters as much as men for the same work, so 'equal pay for equal work' must be a basic norm. Leadership lets women fulfil their innate talents; when women lead they do as good a job as others, building decisions on consensus, inclusion and compassion. Lagarde urges women to 'dare the difference' and step outside their comfort zones, concluding: 'If we dare the difference, the difference will deliver.'
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'The 3Ls of Empowerment' is a persuasive speech by Christine Lagarde on the requisites of women's empowerment. She begins by warmly greeting her audience as 'friends and kindred spirits' and states that the 21st century's most important challenge is the economic role of women in a rapidly changing world.
The cost of blocking women
Women, Lagarde argues, 'remain blocked from contributing their true potential', and this has a huge cost. In some countries per capita income lags significantly because women are denied equal opportunity. They represent half the world's population but contribute far less than 50 per cent of economic activity. To change this picture she proposes 'the 3 Ls' of women's empowerment: learning, labour and leadership.
Learning and Labour
Education is 'the foundation upon which any change is built'. Learning helps women to help themselves and to break the shackles of exclusion, and it is most essential in the developing world, hence the African adage, 'If you educate a boy, you train a man. If you educate a girl, you train a village.'
Labour is the second step: it lets women flourish and achieve their true potential. Yet women too often get stuck in low-paying, low-status and low-security jobs, earning only three-quarters as much as men even for the same work. Lagarde insists on the norm of 'equal pay for equal work', and calls for changed laws, education and health policies, and greater access to credit so women can gain economic independence.
Leadership and 'daring the difference'
The third L is leadership, which enables women to rise and fulfil their innate abilities. The irony, she notes, is that when women lead they do as good a job as others, if not better, making decisions based on consensus-building, inclusion, compassion and long-term sustainability. Women sometimes lack the confidence to match their competence, so they must reset the narrative in their favour and be ready to 'dare the difference' by taking risks and stepping outside their comfort zones.
Lagarde ends with a vision of a world where all women can meet their potential 'without impediment or prejudice', so that the whole world reaps the benefits. Her closing line rings out: 'If we dare the difference, the difference will deliver.'