Culturally, it is commonplace for African women to work.
If women are the key to Africa's future - and I believe they are - we must figure out how to take away the barriers to their participation.
When kids are young, before the age of ten, there is a critical window of opportunity when their habits and motivations can be influenced.
Sporting events like the Olympics have developed and maintained a clear message of promoting gender equality as an essential criterion in the success of any international event.
Female success stories from sporting events like the Olympic Games have played a role in shifting the Indian perception to see the female athlete as a hero and a role model for young Indian girls.
Sport allows us to engage in dialogue and to build bridges, and it may even have the capacity to reshape international relations. The Olympic Games embody perfectly this universal mission.
The symbolic significance of individual athletes' achievements has sometimes proved more productive than the negotiations of diplomats or politicians.
