The Defiant Optimist: How to tackle global inequality?
‘Life is so much richer when you have a north star and you actually go through a very concerted journey to get to that north star.’ – Durreen Shahnaz
Professor Durreen Shahnaz shares her vision for tackling global inequality, revolutionizing finance, and empowering women.
Drawing from her book ‘The Defiant Optimist: Daring to Fight Global Inequality, Reinvent Finance, and Invest in Women’, she outlines strategies to place women, the underserved and the planet at the core of systems.
Table of Contents
- The Power of Defiance
- Pursuit of Purpose Over Profit
- Women as Beacons of Resilience
- Systemic Change for Global Inequality
- Climate Change & Inequality Interplay
- Journey Towards Goals
- Overcoming Gender Bias in Venture Capital
- ‘Defiant Optimism’: A Catalyst for Change
- ‘PREM’: The Success Formula
- Embracing Defiant Optimism
The Power of Defiance
Shahnaz’s life journey is a testament to defying power imbalances and striving for an inclusive world.
Her experiences during the 1971 war in Bangladesh shaped her understanding of power dynamics and fueled her determination to tackle global inequality.
Pursuit of Purpose Over Profit
According to Shahnaz, life gains richness when driven by a purpose or ‘north star’.
Her own journey was never about monetary success but about adhering to this guiding light – addressing systemic issues for women and the underserved.
