Half the Sky

Parts of this book made me want to throw up.  I saw it on a blog and decided to read it.  The authors give detailed accounts of tragedies that happen to women all across the world.  They also give pictures of hope and how change is possible.  Folks from George Clooney to Tom Brokaw praise it.

I find it hard to summarize or select a few words from the book to adequately do it justice.  From this article: “Half the Sky” tackles atrocities and indignities from sex trafficking to maternal mortality, from obstetric fistulas to acid attacks, and absorbing the fusillade of horrors can feel like an assault of its own. But the poignant portraits of survivors humanize the issues, divulging facts that moral outrage might otherwise eclipse. ... Throughout, Kristof and WuDunn show faith in the capacity of ordinary citizens, including Americans, to initiate change — gutsy at a time when many Westerners who voice concern are ritually accused of interfering. Mingling tales of woe with testimonials to people power, the authors explain how tragedy can spawn opportunity. Their hope: “To recruit you to join an incipient movement to emancipate women.”

Many of the stories in this book are wrenching, but keep in mind this central truth: women aren't the problem but the solution.  The plight of girls is no more a tragedy than an opportunity (xviii).