People always ask if I was really voted Most Bizarre Girl in high school. But that one's actually true. I was living in Michigan in a very conservative town and had a nose-ring and a shaved head and did kind of strange things.

Education is key. We have to keep girls in school and give them the same opportunities that boys have. They need access to vocational training and mentorship, as well. It's an issue of gender equality, which is fortunately a hot topic right now, but we need to keep at it and not rest on our laurels.

It's a proven fact that when you raise the status of girls and women in a country, that country does much better economically.

We have to raise the status of girls and women in every country.