 U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris says women deprived of freedom of speech or the freedom to vote, to fight for their rights, and know that the United States stands beside them. Harris sold the Generation Equality Forum at a summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron that gender equality was paramount to strengthening democracy. Harris said democracy was in peril in countries around the world. Two months after entering office, Harris said President Joe Biden's administration would revitalize Washington's partnership with you and women. I know what happens when women are supported. I know what happens when women are heard. When women are heard, whether that is in the courtroom, in the workplace, in the halls of government, or at the ballot box, democracy is more complete. So I know, without doubt, gender equality strengthens democracy. When I said that 26 years ago about women's rights and human rights, now looking back, I believe we have made progress not near enough and that we have to recommit ourselves to going even further. But we also need the power to claim those rights. Rights without power adds up to very little. Women everywhere in the world are squeezed into a small corner. Women make up one quarter of those who are managers. They are one quarter of parliamentarians around the world. They are one quarter of those who negotiate in climate change. They are less than a quarter of those who negotiate peace agreements. And all these decisions have a fundamental impact in their capacity to have a life that is meaningful. What I know is that if you lift up women, if we lift up women and make sure they can use the voices they already have in all places of power and they have their full power and influence in the world, those women and girls will lift up everybody else.