Half the Sky
1) How would you convey the message of the book “Half the Sky” to family, friends, and colleagues?
This book is a crucial dose of reality for those of us that are spoiled by the comforts we have grown used too. Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn explain in the book “Half the Sky” why empowering women in the developing world is ethically right and extremely vital.It is a gripping story of how customs and culture have historically oppressed women. The strength of the human rights movement and of actual change across all cultures is going to be asteadfast task of courageous women who give themselves permission to say no to so many years of unthinkable tyrannical cultural customs and fight for a new way of life. Many of us close our eyes to what is going on in other countries and assume there is nothing we can do to change things. But as Edmund Burke said, “All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” 2) What was the most valuable thing you learned from reading the book?
There are some many stories in this book of women being abused and belittled, which would have made me give up reading it if it had not also had some of the most inspiring stories. Many of these women never gave up. They could easily have let death take them or succumb to the lives they were forced into but they didn’t. We have all heard stories about sex trafficking and how women are treated in these countries but this book brings the tragedies into the spotlight unlike any book I have ever read before. I know that my problems seem small compared to these women and young girls but this book has given me hope that I can overcome my own problems. It definitely teaches a lesson that hope is never truly lost as long as you do not give up.It also shows that evil never really wins. 3) In “Half the Sky” we meet women and girls from around the world. How are their situations similar, despite the unique challenges that they face?
Most of the women and girls have
This book is a crucial dose of reality for those of us that are spoiled by the comforts we have grown used too. Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn explain in the book “Half the Sky” why empowering women in the developing world is ethically right and extremely vital.It is a gripping story of how customs and culture have historically oppressed women. The strength of the human rights movement and of actual change across all cultures is going to be asteadfast task of courageous women who give themselves permission to say no to so many years of unthinkable tyrannical cultural customs and fight for a new way of life. Many of us close our eyes to what is going on in other countries and assume there is nothing we can do to change things. But as Edmund Burke said, “All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” 2) What was the most valuable thing you learned from reading the book?
There are some many stories in this book of women being abused and belittled, which would have made me give up reading it if it had not also had some of the most inspiring stories. Many of these women never gave up. They could easily have let death take them or succumb to the lives they were forced into but they didn’t. We have all heard stories about sex trafficking and how women are treated in these countries but this book brings the tragedies into the spotlight unlike any book I have ever read before. I know that my problems seem small compared to these women and young girls but this book has given me hope that I can overcome my own problems. It definitely teaches a lesson that hope is never truly lost as long as you do not give up.It also shows that evil never really wins. 3) In “Half the Sky” we meet women and girls from around the world. How are their situations similar, despite the unique challenges that they face?
Most of the women and girls have
Cited: Investing in Women and Girls. (2009). Retrieved from Women for Women International: http://www.womenforwomen.org/news-women-for-women/investing-in-women-girls.php National Poverty Center. (2012). Retrieved from University of Michigan: http://www.npc.umich.edu/poverty/ Abagond. (2009, May 18). Life in Ethiopia. Retrieved from Abagond: http://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/life-in-ethiopia/ Care. (n.d.). ENDING POVERTY—Why Empower Women and Girls? Retrieved from http://www.care.org/getinvolved/advocacy/pdfs/whyempowerwomen.pdf Center, W. I. (n.d.). Women 's History in America. Retrieved from WIC Main Page: http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm Headquarters, P. I. (2011). Plan’s Policy on Gender Equality. Retrieved from http://plan-international.org/girls/pdfs/plan-gender-policy.pdf Kanani, R. (2012, March 8). DOJ Director on Violence Against Women in the United States. Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/rahimkanani/2012/03/08/doj-director-on-violence-against-women-in-the-united-states/ Kristof, N. D. (2009). Half the Sky. New York: Vintage Books. Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being. (n.d.). Retrieved from The White House: Council on Women and Girls: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cwg/data-on-women