I don't listen to people who say my dreams are impossible; I just work to prove them wrong.

I can contribute, be valuable and grow in many ways, since my interests are so varied. That is very satisfying.

I always loved having the chance to disappear in a story. I always was kind of obsessed with that.

No other health disparity is so stark; virtually every woman who dies giving birth lives in a poor country.

I want to spend as much time as possible with my children, so I always like to keep my beauty and fashion routines effortless... but still chic!

Miriam Were has made outstanding contributions to public health in the developing world. She brings basic medical services to women and children in East Africa.

Investing in women's lives is an investment in sustainable development, in human rights, in future generations - and consequently in our own long-term national interests.