The number of self-made women billionaires has doubled since 2009, and wealth held by them has increased by 50 percent in the past five years. It's a trend that is only expected to continue as gender equality advances in the United States and around the world.

With a propensity for collaboration, an emerging generation of female philanthropists has a bold new vision for empowering women and girls. In an interview for the Economist, Melissa Durda of Synergos' Global Philanthropists Circle illuminates this powerful new trend, and explains why she believes women philanthropists are ideally positioned to reshape the philanthropic landscape.