NEW YORK: U.S. presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has cited the example of Indian women entrepreneurs joining forces to secure micro-finance loans as she made a clarion call to achieving equal pay, ending sexual violence and providing equal opportunities to women across the world.

In one of her first major speeches to a global audience following her announcement to run for US President, Clinton, 67, told a gathering at the sixth annual 'Women in the World' summit here yesterday that men and women equally have to be the "agent of change" and contribute to the progress required to ensure an equal world for all.

Exuding hope that the world is closer than ever before to achieving such change, Clinton cited the example of how women in India, Bangladesh and Liberia are joining forces to improve their lives and secure their rights.

"We have seen women all over the world become agents of change, drivers of progress, makers of peace. I have seen penniless women in India and Bangladesh banding together to secure micro-finance loans and start their own small businesses," Clinton said to a packed audience of celebrities, entrepreneurs, activists and students.

"So many women are still paid less than men for the same work, with even wider gaps for women of colour," she said.

While quoting from a World Economic Forum ranking that places the US 65th out of 142 nations on equal pay, Clinton said, "Imagine that, we should be number one,".

"When women are held back, our country is held back. When women get ahead, everyone gets ahead," she said.

Clinton also termed as "outrageous" that America is the only country in the developed world that does not guarantee paid leave to mothers of newborns.

"It is hard to believe that in 2015 so many women still pay a price for being mothers," she said.
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