On this 2016 International Women's Day, it pays to reflect on the global partnership efforts achieved since 1975 – the International Women's Year, when the United Nations (UN) officially started to commemorate the accomplishments towards women's empowerment and gender equality. The theme set by the UN this year, “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality,” is yet another strong reminder that women and girls are not a segment or a niche group of our society, but equate to half of the world's population, and play a critical role in the world economy. Many would be familiar with diverse studies conducted by development institutions, governments and foundations which demonstrate that investing in women and girls has the highest untapped return.