Half the Sky ：Women’s Rights

Submitted by Hunter Xu on Sunday, 11 October 2009No Comment

Author: Nicholas D.Kristof , Sheryl WuDunn

‘Half the Sky’ Rview:
This has to be the most important book, and not just for women’s rights globally but for man rights. We all realize that women the world over face challenges that women in the US never have to face. Prepare to have your eyes opened when you open this book. I dare you not to be moved, and I dare you to do nothing after reading it. The women who share their stories here are some of the most courageous and strongest women ever, and they are changing their world for the better.

‘Half the Sky’ Summary:
Among many other "super" women, HALF THE SKY spotlights the following inspirational Ashoka Fellows:

Sunitha Krishnan (India), founder of Prajwala, a citizen sector organization in Hyderabad, India, fighting forced prostitution and sex trafficking, rescuing women and children from sexual exploitation, incestual rape, sexual torture, and abuse in prostitution. Her organization helps former prostitutes learn vocational skills so they can move into new careers. "Prajwala" means "an eternal flame".

Sakena Yacoobi (Afghanistan), founder of the Afghan Institute of Learning, a citizen sector organization providing teacher training to Afghan women, educating and fostering education for girls and boys, and providing health education to women and children. Her organization also runs fixed and mobile health clinics that provide family planning services. Sakena holds the distinction of having been Ashoka’s first Afghan Fellow. Educating women and girls was banned under the Taliban and is controversial under Islamic law.

Roshaneh Zafar (Pakistan), founder of Pakistani microfinance lender, Kashf. A former World Bank employee, she was inspired after a chance meeting with Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank. "Kashf" means "miracle" and Kashf is indeed fostering a miracle by leveraging microfinance to women to transform the role of women in Pakistani society and bringing about a poverty-free world. To date, Kashf supports 305,038 families in Pakistan, has disbursed $202 million, and has 52 branches nationwide.

The authors tend to focus instead on individual Westerners who had an "aha" moment, from distinguished public health physicians to high school girls who learned something about the situation and felt they had to help. The authors call them "social entrepreneurs" and admire them greatly. But they chide American feminists for being more interested in Title IX sports programs and inappropriate office touching than the plight of their sisters in the developing world. And they acknowledge that women are often implicated in institutionalized oppression, too. Again, this book is not a sermon about victims.

Its range is wide, and sometimes it’s even funny. In a wonderful, mordantly amusing chapter about big groups trying to impose their views on cultures they don’t understand, the authors describe fundamentalist Christians trying as hard as they can to prevent contraception, and secular elites trying as hard as they can to advance it. But, as Kristof and WuDunn remind us, if you’re down-and-out in a Congolese jungle, the Christian missionaries will be the ones there to provide you with food and medication. "Half the Sky" is a call to arms, a call for help, a call for contributions, but also a call for volunteers.

If you pick ‘Half the Sky’ up , you will not be able to put it down. You will love this book.

The Book Details