What was seen:
Despite centuries of progress, for all our modernity, gender inequality has persisted in what is supposed to be the world’s most advanced nation. Accomplished philanthropist Melinda Gates started a family-focused incubator Pivotal Ventures, and wanted to use it as a source of action about her part-biography, part-analysis book The Moment of Lift.
What was hidden:
Widespread cultural movements like #MeToo had succeeded in driving lots of conversation about persistent inequality, but had yet to convert that tension in action. Where reactive movements like #MeToo had succeeded in organizing energy and conversation around unmissable dangers, proactive movements that succeed in driving engagement with issues organize around dangers hiding in plain sight—they unlock potential energy.
What was unlocked:
A quantification of how far away American society was from true gender parity that made the lack of progress unmissable, and in turn, unacceptable. The WEF estimated that it would take 198 more years to achieve gender equality in the US.
