Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

Half the Sky Book Review I "read"--listened to this book in the unabridged audio version is 10.5 hrs on 8 CDs, very well read by Cassandra Compbell, by HighBridgeaudio.com This book was an easy read, although the topic is not normally one I would choose. It was enthralling--hopeful and uplifting and often stories are told first-hand through the eyes of those women rather than the world. I listened to it end to end--during my commute. It's well-written and well-told. You will not put this down. It might even compel you to action-- knowing that even a tiny action can help change the world one human being at a time. What the book's about: The Problem: How can a country and culture or the world thrive, when half its resources go untapped? When half of our world is debased and marginalized, and not permitted to actively participate in society, the world is a poorer place. We are talking about the female in society within less developed parts of the world. Mass and gang rapes (including as a war tactic), kidnapping, sex trafficking & brothels, the cult of virginity and the hymen, sexual honor in the mid-east, honor killing, and genital mutilation and cutting---take place daily against our female sisters globally. Like slavery, females are devalued as human beings in many cultures and countries. Women hold just 1% of land that is titled, according to the United Nations. They have no opportunity to contribute to society in a meaningful way. This book tells us that when half the people of the world are allowed to contribute, the difference is markedly positive for a country's GDP and its people. These countries that devalue women include Pakistan, China, India, Liberia, Africa, Eastern Europe and SE Asia. Change Makers Empowerment and education are the steps to preventing these behaviors, and family planning and birth control, including education to reduce family size. The availability and funding of condoms to prevent AIDS in poor countries. Grassroots social movements are far more effective than laws and large aid $$$ that don't reach the poor. Societal issues against women are a cultural norm, and that does not change even with the laws say otherwise. Education helps change oppressive culture. The U.S. sometimes is seen as sitting in moral judgment when there might be better actions to help stem this tide. Capitalism achieves more than what charity and good intentions sometimes cannot: Micro credit loans are a revolution, in helping people help themselves. This book shares online sites where you can lookup and participate in this micro lending right down to the country, town and woman. Double Standards in Society There is a double standard regarding sexism and misogyny for female vs. male population Women are lured by false promises of jobs, that turn out to be rape-run brothels. In addition to the act of rape itself, there is a social stigma attached to rape and the victim often is cast out by her family and village. Rape victims are punished not the perpetrators and often women are forced to marry their attackers (and no one else will have them). There is no protection from police, courts, or the public. There is a high rate of female infanticide. Just by being female, fetuses are often aborted, babies allowed to die, or through-out their lives, receive less (or no) medical care vs. males. Women also grow up to be the perpetrators of these same crimes against other women. Women who are damaged physically by rape or childbirth or disease are abandoned as modern-day lepers, especially females in poor rural areas. High rates of death occur among these same women during child birth. Health care is poor overall, and women receive the lowest (or no) priority. Some countries have young females paired up with old "Sugar Daddies" -with a trade off of material goods for sex. Middle aged men take teenagers as baubles in exchange for money and gifts. These older men are more likely to have AIDS and pass it on. There is a shortage of doctors, supplies and facilities in many countries. Conservative religious attitudes related to culture are repressive to women. Sexual abuse, arranged marriage, and virginity testing are all practices that contribute to the problem Bottom Line: This book outlines the problem, and some solutions that have shown success, and how we can get involved at any level. Go to the end for explicit referrals where you can source for where and how you can help--on any level.

I was able to read most of an advance copy of this book before Bill Drayton (founder of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public) snatched it away and ran off with it on his annual 2-week hiking trip to the mountains. I think this has to be the most important book - not just for women's rights globally but for human rights - published in my memory. Kristof and WuDunn weave together a most compelling story of how culture and customs historically suppress women. They tackle many tough, taboo topics - for example honor killing. But more importantly, they champion the stories of heroic women worldwide wholly committed to changing the many evils of the status quo. What is more, they posit a kind of general framework theory that the really important advances in human rights that are going to be made in the near future are going to be brought about by these entrepreneurial pioneering women. In essence, that the backbone of the human rights movement and of real change across all societies is going to be a direct function of brave women who give themselves permission to say "NO" to thousands of years of (to most Westerners) unimaginable oppressive cultural customs and who take it upon themselves to lead to a new way. Once you have read the book, it is very hard, if not impossible, to disagree with Kristof and WuDunn's general theme. To wit, the brave women of Iran who took to the streets to protest the results of the recent election. 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. I am not alone in my enthusiasm for this book! Last Tuesday, September 15, 2009 from 1:15 pm to 2:45 pm, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ("UNODC") will be hosting a panel discussion and booksigning with Mr. Kristof and Ms. WuDunn in the UN Trusteeship Council Chamber at UN Headquarters. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will deliver opening remarks. Every seat (550) in the Trusteeship Council Chamber was filled. The buzz out there is that many people are coming and that everyone is very excited about the publication and significance of this extraordinary milestone work. Five out of five stars. An absolute must read for anyone who cares about women's rights or human rights. A genuine eye popper that moves so fast, tackles so much that has hitherto been taboo and unmovable, and interweaves the unbelievably positive stories of the very heroic women already leading and creating change in a tapestry that is glimpse of a brave and very different, humanitarian new world. Once you pick this book up, you will not be able to put it down. And once you have read it, you will be moved to help bring about tomorrow. Absolute proof that the glass (or the sky) is half full. We just have to give ourselves permission to make change. Or as Gandhi said, "we must be the change we wish to see." BUY IT. READ IT. PASS IT AROUND.

I read this on Kindle...fascinating...horrifying...compelling...the best book I NEVER wanted to read. This was inspired writing by two outstanding journalists (husband and wife) who managed to get way beyond statistics and do-good platitudes to gather stories from women throughout the world, from all races and levels of society, who have been exploited, abused and tortured. Somehow their awful stories were never unbearable to read, simply because the authors were able to convey the sense of hope and survival instincts that these and other women have mustered when given just a little help, support, and encouragement. Even more powerful is the persuasive case the authors make that if we can improve the lot of women in societies where they are marginalized, we are doing the most effective thing to also help their families, their villages, and indeed, their entire countries. The power in this writing and these stories was the authors' ability to make the reader feel that they have been forever changed and actually empowered to do something to help these awful situations, and they are convincing in their belief that these are not just women's issues. They are human rights issues and must be addressed. They provide concrete guidance to organizations that are already making a difference, what they are doing, and what is working (always substantiated with facts and figures and accompanied by caveats and realistic commentary. I finished the book and went straight to my computer, where I donated to my Kiva account and adopted a little girl from Africa through Plan USA. This book makes you want to DO something! I bought this book based on a recommendation by Steve Leveen who wrote a terrific review of this book for The Huffington Post [...]. He wrote, "...I hazard a prediction: the most influential book of the decade will be Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Of course I don't know that Half the Sky will be the most influential book, but I believe it should be." I believe it should be too, and I plan to join Steve in doing my part to make it so. "If it's going to be, it's up to me." (Robert Schuller title)

This book was used for my women's health class. An interesting read

Half the Sky (HTS) has been on my To-Read list for a long time. A recent PBS airing of Kristof and WuDunn's documentary, A Path Appears (APA), took HTS to the top of my reading list. For a long time (but increasing over time with their horror and magnitude), I've been smacked with example after example of oppression and violence against women, be it in Africa or the U.S. I've wondered how I could most effectively help. (Which organizations are "safe" to donate to? Which programs are most successful? What can I, as an individual, do?) HTS helped immensely, both in my education of the problems and as a resource for knowing where to channel my efforts and my dollars. Each HTS chapter focuses on a particular “issue” (sexual slavery, “honor” killings, femicide, acid attacks, rape as a warfare tactic, etc.), with the authors providing background, specific examples of some of the women and girls, and then a program (or more than one) that has helped. However, I do agree with some of the reviewers who were more critical of the authors’ journalistic rigor, faulting them for leaving out topics such as lack of sanitation as it especially affects women, or for not “honestly” portraying the realities of sexual slavery (saying that some of the prostitutes were in the business “willingly”; clearly, a 15 year old who was sold into slavery at age 6 cannot be called “willing” simply because she goes back into it when she can see no other option). For my own criticisms, I wished that the authors had more vividly described the atrocity of genital mutilation, primarily because I don’t think they portrayed the subject in a way that adequately covered the long-term (life-long) suffering of the women. I would also like to have seen them focus on America’s oppression of women, and for them to illustrate how the U.S. is moving two steps backward for every step forward in women’s reproductive rights. Perhaps that’s a topic all in itself, thus deserving its own book. That said, the book was an excellent “Oppression of Women Around the World 101” primer, and I would hate for HTS’s detractors’ criticisms to dissuade others from reading HTS. Those of us who’ve taken this first “course” can now dig deeper through other books and more direct research.

With the immense visibility that New York Times columnists get worldwide, they have a responsibility as well to be agents of positive social change. Perhaps no other columnist in the history of the paper has taken this responsibility to heart as admirably as Nicholas Kristof. From alerting us to the problems of modern China to the crisis of Darfur to the scourge of honor killings, Kristof has been a champion for the oppressed. He has brought untold stories to the public and been a palpable agent of change. Often risking his life to travel to distant corners of the globe, he has tirelessly documented tales of human suffering and resilience with care and sensitivity. The public has clearly responded positively to him. If cyberspace is any indicator of popularity, Kristof is by far the most popular of any columnist at the Times, boasting over 147,000 Facebook fans on his page. In comparison, other luminaries such as Thomas Friedman and Maureen Dowd have under 5,000 fans each! Kristof epitomises the proverbial "good guy" in the egocentric world of journalism and this shines through especially in his books -- all of which are co-authored with his wife Sheryl WuDunn, an eminent writer in her own right. In their latest book, Kristof and WuDunn tackle the intractable problem of promoting women's rights worldwide, against a resistant tide of cultural exceptionalism. The title of the book comes from an old Chinese proverb that states "women hold up half the sky". struck me most about the book was that Kristof and WuDunn are brave enough to challenge "political correctness" and in a separate chapter ask the question about whether religion is misogynistic. They acknowledge the acerbic statistic that "countries where girls are cut, killed for honour, or kept out of school or the workplace typically have large Muslim populations." Furthermore, they substantiate their findings with data. For example, in Egypt only 25% of the population believes that a woman should have a right to become president. And yet, we are left with the bewildering paradox that several Muslim countries have indeed had women leaders, including Pakistan. Class differentiation could be the easy explanation but there is something else going on as well to indicate that Muslim societies may be more flexible in terms of gender roles than may be otherwise assumed. However, the problem of gender discrimination in Muslim lands, including Pakistan is real and musts be addressed as Kristof and WuDunn correctly urge us to do. The book also acknowledges that that there are many human rights activists and women's development organisations in Muslim countries who are championing the rights of women through legislative activism and personal action despite enormous threats to their lives. Despite the despair that permeates so many of the stories of the book, the tone of the narrative is also hopeful. In each case, the authors try to transform the victim through tales of personal valour and sacrifice. The book also ends on a note of advocacy, exhorting readers to get engaged in a global movement to end the abuse of women just as the world united to end slavery at all levels across all societies. The authors also provide a list of four steps which we can take to get involved with various NGOs that are working towards the goal of equal rights for women worldwide. Half the Sky will be a difficult book for many Muslims to read because it turns a mirror on some of the most detestable practices in ostensibly Islamic societies. Many readers will have a knee-jerk reaction of negative nationalism or religious protectionism and try to dismiss these cases as exceptions. However, as Muslim countries like Pakistan finally confront the Taliban, let us not forget that the most pernicious aspects of their regime which brought discomfort to even some of the more conservative aspects of society was their total disregard for the rights of women. Even if we discount any of the other motivations for the confrontation in Waziristan and Swat, the mere fact that hundreds of girls schools were destroyed by the fanatics should make us consider what we are up against. No society can flourish with the demoralisation and marginalisation of half of its population by using ossified cultural excuses. To quote an epigraph from Mark Twain that Kristof and WuDunn mention: "What would men be without women? Scarce, sir, mighty scarce!"

The authors of this book, Kirstof and WuDunn are Pulitzer prize winners, who have taken many years to painstakingly research the very serious issues of human trafficking, poverty, and disenfranchisement of women worldwide. These are first-hand accounts with black and white photos of the actual women they interviewed. It is not a third-hand "research" book. Rather, they are very personal interviews. It would have been very easy for the book to be one giant downer, but there are enough upflifting and hopeful endings to the accumulated stories which makes the reader realize there is reason for optimism. There were chapters in the book that were so graphic and disturbing that I had to walk away from the book for a few days, but it is a powerful anthology of how ordinary people have the power to make resounding changes in some of the world's worst areas of the world. As I ponder how to connect my soon-to-be 11 year old son to a world beyond his safe suburban life, the book gave some real practical suggestions for connecting to a larger global community. While the large donor and humanitarian organizations are both well-meaning and helpful, it is the impact of grassroots community movements and idealistic individuals that have made the greatest "return on investment" to the women and children recipients of the charitable acts. It was eye-opening. The end of the book provides some practical suggestions and I will act on them. Nick and Sheryl have given voices to these women and girls who are SURVIVORS. This book is sometimes difficult to read, but extremely necessary.

This book is an essential dose of reality for those of us that are lost in the comfort of our own lives. It not only informs, it also motivates us to do something about an ancient and pervasive global problem. The story of individuals whose strength and will enabled them to overcome their dire circumstances,and the accomplishments of rescuers who were equipped with compassion and drive created narratives so compelling and moving that it will mobilize anyone for the cause - unless of course if your heart is truly made of stone. I also find it helpful that the book mentioned various organizations and hospitals that are heavily involved with helping women in oppression. This information makes it easy for anyone to donate or help out if he/she wants to. On a personal note, reading the stories of some of these truly strong individuals inspired me to make the most of the opportunities I have in front of me. Not only that I should be thankful for all that I have, but BECAUSE I can, I now have a responsibility to do what I can to help. It is still difficult for me to believe that a lot of these incidents can happen in this day and age, and that people suffered this much while we go about our day worrying who won the latest sporting events or what the latest fashion trend is. (I'm not against either sports or fashion, but it really puts life in perspective!) In summary, the book has the pattern of telling us a story of a suffering individual with no way out on their own, then the story of one who was willing to take action to help .... and that has made all the difference. (well not every story is a success story... but that's reality too) The stories are real, the people are real, the problems are real. It is heart breaking to see how vast and cruel the problems are - but there is hope. We can be part of that hope, when we are willing to see and do something about it as well. Start by reading this book... it really will change your world, it changed mine.