Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

I just finished a book that made me uneasy. The book touched a string inside me that makes me feel like I want to do something. When a book does that, than that's a good book. A book that touches the vulnerability of being human and invites to the reader to do something. The title of the book is "Half the Sky. Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide". It is written by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The authors are known for having won the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for their reporting as journalists from China to the New York Times. They have written outrageously good in this book about the worldwide oppression of women.

The book is about how women are treated as slaves in marriage and in prostitution, of rape around the world, how women die while giving birth just because they are not valued, family planning which prioritizing a boy rather than a girl baby, the hate towards women which is reflected in religions around the world, and the importance of investing in the education of girls and women. If you believe there is equality in the world today: read this book. If you want to learn more about womens' legal status in many countries: read this book. If you want to be inspired to do something: read this book.

There are four things we all can all do to create more opportunities for the oppressed women of the world:

1. Visit the website Global Giving and/or create a Kiva account. Both of these sites are based on the principle of P2P, that one person who helps another person. You can choose to give assistance to a grassroots project, or help women who want to start their own businesses. It is said that if you help a boy/man with education, then you are helping one person. But if you give the same assistance to a girl/woman, then you are helping an entire village. GET AN ACCOUNT.

2. Sponser a girl or a woman through Plan International, Women for Women International, World Vision and/or American Jewish World Service. I myself have been a Plan donater for 20 years and think this is an excellent way to help others. But there are many choices for you to choose from. GET HELP TO A GIRL/WOMAN.

3. Get more information about the position of women in the world today by subscribing to newsletters from Women News and/or World Pulse. GET EDUCATED.

4. Join the CARE Action Network and help fight poverty and oppression in the world. GET INVOLVED.
All these steps are based on the participation of individual human beings. They are steps that help to break the ice and tell the world leaders that we care and that we are many.