Half the Sky #halfthesky

My troubles in having a job eliminated and having to finding a new job pale in comparison to troubles encountered by the girls and women of the world. I just watched the first episode of Half the Sky on PBS (click here). It was inspired by Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn who wrote the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. The documentary series continues the book’s argument that fighting the oppression of women is the moral challenge of the 21st Century. Read the Women’s Crusade if you want a taste of the story. The essay is adapted from Kristof and WuDunn’s book.

Though working in a call centre in North America is not an ideal job, it certainly is better than most. Kristof and WuDunn say “Westerners encounter sweatshops and see exploitation, and indeed, many of these plants are just as bad as critics say. But it’s sometimes said in poor countries that the only thing worse than being exploited in a sweatshop is not being exploited in a sweatshop.” (link). My first world problem is making better than minimum wage of $10 dollars an hour. But the rest of the world sees working in a sweatshop and it being a good thing.

There are many changes that must come to make the world a better place. Half the Sky highlights people and the organizations they found. These people and organizations are making life better for individuals. People like Somaly Mam and the Somaly Mam Foundation working to stop the sex slave trade. People like John Wood and Room to Read devoted to literacy and gender equality.

It’s time to act. Check out how here.