Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and French Minister for Equality between Women and Men and for the Fight against Discriminations Aurore Bergé headlined a dynamic public dialogue on May 28 at the Crédit Agricole Fédération auditorium in Paris. 

The dialogue was organized by Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation (GCAF). 

Moderated by Véronique Faujour, General Secretary of the Crédit Group, an open forum that drew 150 leaders from the financial inclusion sectors and gender equality sectors.

Minister Bergé—a top ally of President Macron and a champion of anti-discrimination and female economic parity—praised the foundation’s impact, which channels over 85% of its global loans to women. 

Bergé said that discrimination and inequality in France and globally are acute and presents a big challenge so the empowerment of youth especially of women is needed more than ever.

During the discussion, Professor Yunus shared powerful insights from the historic Grameen Bank experience and recounted the critical lessons of the student-led July Uprising in Bangladesh, led by boys as well as women students from schools colleges and universities, highlighting how grassroots financial autonomy are needed for building resilient and more just and equal societies.

Yunus pointed out that the new generation of young women in Bangladesh is leading the way. 

He predicted young men women empowered with new technologies will bring enormous social and political power to themselves. 

He said the young people armed with technology have the power of the genie of Aladdin’s lamp waiting to be activated to bring miraculous, rapid and massive change in the world. A time will come when the younger generation will become more and more powerful in society because of the power of technology. This shift will surely happen in every society. In Bangladesh it will happen faster because 65 percent of Bangladesh’s population is under the age of 35. It will keep on increasing in the coming years before it slows down.