I knew there were major problems with the representation of women in leadership and decision-making positions, but I was shocked by the scale of the problem. Today, women hold 30 percent of parliamentary seats in just 20 countries, none of which are in Asia. I realized through my research that unless gender parity can be achieved in governance, as well as other positions of influence, the overall Millennium Development Goal of gender equality and women's empowerment, will not be achieved. What I learned is that the cost of excluding women goes far beyond just excluding women. The absence of women in parliament creates ineffective governance. This leads to poverty, poor education and health for all genders, domestic violence, social unrest and institutionalized inequality. Empowering women and increasing our presence in leadership positions and government is the solution for struggling governments. It can disrupt cycles of poverty and dysfunction and, as we can see in Rwanda, completely transform a government. On reflection, despite the goal of achieving equity for women, the MDGs have been silent on many issues at the heart of gender inequality, including reproductive rights and violence against women. If all these issues are not resolved, the overall goal of gender equity will never be achieved and there is a way to ensure this goal.