Sexism is global. The fight against it should be too. 

Join thousands of others who have come together to send a powerful message: we won't end extreme poverty without ending global gender equality.

Dear World Leaders, 

Nowhere on earth do women have as many opportunities as men. Nowhere. 

While the debate around this truth rages everywhere, girls and women living in extreme poverty – those often hit hardest by the injustice of gender inequality – have been left out of the conversation.

This must change. The fight for gender equity is global.

Some 62 million girls are denied the right to education. Half a billion women can’t read. 155 countries still have laws that discriminate against women. 

Last year, you signed up to end extreme poverty, and because poverty is sexist, you promised to tackle the gender inequality that keeps people poor.

This year, there are a series of historic opportunities to test your commitment and to make meaningful progress by delivering:

Funding in 2016 at the Nutrition for Growth and Global Fund Summits to help girls and women fight HIV and malnutrition, because it is an outrage that girls account for 74% of all new HIV infections among adolescents in Africa and 40% of women on the continent suffer from anemia which results in 20% of maternal deaths;

Policies which support female economic empowerment: access to electricity, connectivity, education and justice, so girls and women have the right to own property, start a business and decide when and whether to marry;

Better data on the girls and women we can’t see, don’t know exist and therefore can’t yet deliver for.

International Women’s Day must be about advancing girls and women everywhere.

Signed,

Ali Hewson, Alyse Nelson,  Aminatou Sow,  Amy Poehler,  Andrew Zimmern,  Andrew Hozier-Byrne,  Angelique Kidjo, Ann Friedman,  Anna Loos,  Anne V, Anne-Marie Slaughter,  Arianna Huffington,  Airelle T,  Asa,  Ashley Judd,  Bobby Shriver,  Bono,  Cailtin Moran,  Carey Lowell,  Carolin Kebekus,  Charlize Theron,  Cindi Lieve,  Colin Farell,  Condoleeza Rice,  Connie Britton,  D'Banj,  Danai Gurira,  Derreck Kayongo,  Elsie Kanza,  Sir Elton John,  Emma Freud,  Emma Watson,  Ertharin Cousin,  Femi Kuti,  Gabriela,  George Stroumboulopoulos,  Helen Clark,  Helena Gayle,  Jeff Skoll,  Jennifer Lopez, Jessie J,  John Green,  Jude Kelly, CBE,  Judith Sephuma,  Kakenya Ntaiya,  Karen Kornbluh,  Kathy Calvin,  Katie Holmes,  Katja Iverson,  Lady Gaga, Laura Ling,  Lauren Bush Lauren,  Lea Delaria,  Lilly Singh,  Lonnie Ali, Luvvie Ajayi,  Mabel van Oranje,  Marc Benioff,  Mark Zuckerberg,  Maria Shriver, Marian Salzman, Mark Ruffalo,  Mary J Blige, Melinda Gates,  Meryl Streep, Michele Sullivan,  Muhammad Ali,  Oprah Winfrey,  Padma Lakshmi,  Patricia Arquette,  Paul Polman,  Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka,  Rea Garvey,  Robert Redford,  Rocky Dawuni,  Ruby Rose,  Sarah Degnan Kambou,  Sean Parker,  Selmor Mtukudzi,  Sheryl Sandberg,  Sheryl WuDunn,  Shonda Rhimes,  Sue Desmond-Hellman,  Susan Wojcicki,  Tété,  Thandie Newton,  Tina Fey,  Tina Brown,  Vanessa Mdee,  Victoria Kimani,  Vincent Cassel,  Yemi Alade

This article was contributed in support of ONE. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of each of the partners of Global Citizen.