2024-05-23
An American nonprofit executive discusses the global value of unlocking female potential.
Since 2017, Quam has been the president and CEO of Pathfinder, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to sexual and reproductive health services and creating opportunities for women and their communities to reach their full potential. In this book, she expounds upon Pathfinder’s mission, observing that without access to reproductive health services, the potential of women and girls is stymied, a net negative for society. The author deftly connects climate change, refugee crises, and inadequate health care systems to demonstrate how women are crucial to addressing each problem. (“Unlocking the talent, skills, and energy of the world’s women is the big move that can catalyze global progress in the twenty-first century.”) The book’s first section describes Pathfinder’s history, including a reckoning with founder Clarence Gamble’s eugenicist beliefs. The second highlights some of the author’s recent work, such as improving maternal health care services, integrating reproductive health care with other local health services, and striving to close the technology gender divide. Quam then looks to the future, discussing the need to ensure the livelihoods of young people by providing them with reproductive education, expanding fertility health services globally, and reorganizing Pathfinder to be a country-led organization. The author writes with the energy and enthusiasm of someone accustomed to moving mountains to achieve one’s goals. She asserts that empowering women is a necessary global good and has the data and experience to back it up. The effect of this book is galvanizing, especially in the current political climate, where it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the many challenges the world faces. “We are, I think, well aware of what can go wrong. Less so about what could go right.” This line, which would seem like a platitude from another author, lands differently coming from a woman whose work has improved thousands of lives.
An invigorating blueprint for building a better world—this book is sure to inspire readers.
