Half the Sky

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Half the Sky is simultaneously heartbreaking and inspiring.  Using the stories of remarkable women he has met around the world, Nicholas Kristof makes an impassioned plea for us to open our eyes, get engaged and take meaningful action to improve the plight of women everywhere.  The women Kristof profiles have been gang-raped, beaten, mutilated, sold into sexual slavery, often targeted by the very police, governments and other authority figures who should have been protecting them - even by other women.  But some of them have also overcome overwhelming odds to rescue themselves and to fight to help other women.  Kristof argues convincingly that "women's issues" are really people issues - that everyone benefits when women are safe, educated and productive.  He calls for us to get engaged - to step outside the safety of our homes and witness what too much of the world sees every day and to get involved.  Half the Sky should be required reading for everyone, everywhere and we should heed its call.

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