Think about the ways in which gender inequality is perpetuated. Formal structures like laws and policies certainly play a role. But it’s also reinforced by millions upon millions of routine encounters between everyday people — between husbands and wives, employers and employees, candidates for office and the people determining their “electability,” village leaders guarding traditional norms and the young women who would challenge them.

When enough of us are determined to be a voice for change, it sets the stage for broader transformation. One example, of course, is the millions of people around the world who, by sharing their #MeToo stories, have put systemic problems in the spotlight and amplified pressure on business and government leaders to be part of the solution.

It is against this backdrop that, in July, representatives from all over the world will come together in Paris to mark the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing — where Hillary Clinton famously proclaimed “women’s rights are human rights” — at an event called the Generation Equality Forum. The forum aims to convert the current energy and attention around gender equality into tangible gains for women and girls everywhere.

In the two decades since my husband, Bill Gates, and I started our foundation, I’ve come to understand that events like this are valuable opportunities for the world to agree on a shared set of goals — and for business and government leaders to rally to meet those goals by making ambitious financial and political commitments.

While such commitments are important (not least because they invite public accountability) living up to those aspirations in our private actions is, too. And that’s where you come in.