The U.S. needs better efforts to advance gender equality and more opportunities for women to make contributions to the country’s growth, Hillary Clinton told a crowd of nearly 7,000 in Louisville on Saturday during the United Methodist Women's Assembly.When women are denied the opportunity to participate, they cannot support the economy, said Clinton, the former U.S. secretary of state, senator, first lady and potential 2016 presidential candidate.“As I have had the honor of representing our country, I have learned that women everywhere have the same aspirations for good jobs, healthy families, strong communities,” Clinton said. “They share the drive to be entrepreneurs and builders, agents of change, drivers of progress and makers of peace. All they need is a fair shot.”She said it is vital to create policies aimed at raising the minimum wage, providing the job flexibility to parents and investing in early childhood education and education in science, technology, engineering and math.“We can empower women and girls and unleash creative talents and there is no limit to how far we can go,” she said.Clinton spent much of her address on her upbringing in the Methodist church, of which she has been a longtime member. She commended the work United Methodist Women have done to fight against human trafficking.“I have seen firsthand how much faith communities can do,” she said. “I think a lot has been accomplished, not just here at home, but everywhere."
