What we're reading: Half the Sky - turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide

“I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any other human being, let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

- Stephen Grellet

-By Lisa

If we get up on our high horse about using recycled toilet paper to save the planet, it’s only fair that we educate ourselves about the other inhabitants who share this planet.

It’s easy to block out the rest of the world and just keep our heads down, contemplating our organic naval oranges. But through a web of global interconnectivity and reciprocity, our actions have a profound effect on the rest of the world. We talk about sustainability and environmental impact, not just because we care about the local watershed, but because we care about the availability of potable water worldwide. Consider the implications of the fact that our number one and fastest growing export to China is scrap and trash. Or that the significant rise of Americans foreclosing on their homes has caused global copper prices to fall dramatically, leading to a currency crisis in Zambia.

While not quite a cheery beach read, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide offers important information about the social status of our global neighbors. I believe it is our responsibility to be informed citizens of the world. For me, that has led to a desire to share that information and get out there and raise awareness (and a little hell) and I've found it to be an amazingly satisfying pursuit.

This book relays such horrific stories that you need to put it down once in a while to catch your breath and wrap your head around the implications. It disturbs, it haunts, but then it tells you what you can do about it. This book becomes great in that moment of empowerment when you realize that you needn’t stand idly by and silently condone injustice just because you don’t happen to be a member of the UN. It’s easy to point fingers and condemn atrocities but it’s much harder to propose how to change it.

First, we have to understand what we are dealing with when we talk about gender inequality. The authors argue that mass rape and sex trafficking must not be categorized as merely women’s issues; after all, we do not view the Holocaust as a “Jewish issue”. These violations involving females have been traditionally been marginalized by being defined as a women's problem, when they should all be considered broader human rights issues. The authors take us around the world and introduce us to women who are given a space to tell their life stories. The reoccurring resolution (which they acknowledge as having become cliché, but is valid nonetheless) is one of women’s empowerment. If women are informed of their choices and their right be heard, many of these practices would be severely threatened.

The African proverb, “Educate a boy, and you’re educating an individual. Educate a girl and you are educating an entire village” is a remarkable realization. Girls are often not given access to the schooling their brothers attain, but an educated woman not only brings empowerment to herself, but to her children as well. Women teach others and pass on the knowledge they posses; the return on investment is immeasurable. The authors believe that educating girls is truly the way to change the world. And there is plenty of evidence to back them up.

The section entitled “Four Steps You Can Take In The Next Ten Minutes” looks at the impact of a single individual on inequality worldwide. The practically endless list of resources for information indicates one clear message of the authors; knowledge is power. It is almost inevitable to feel overwhelmed and impotent in the face of such alarming and widespread abuses. However, after bombarding us with horrors, Kristof and WuDunn empower us to take action. A $25 dollar micro-loan to a woman in Uganda to start a mending business (kiva.org) might feel insignificant when looking at the issues broadly, but the book returns time and time again to this philosophy;

“A man goes out on the beach and sees that it is covered with starfish that have washed up in the tide. A little boy is walking along and throwing them back in the water. ‘What are you doing, son? You see how many starfish there are? You’ll never make a difference.’ The boy paused thoughtfully and picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean. ‘It sure made a difference to that one,’ he said.”

 For more from Lisa, check out www.justherejustnow.com