I love to read. Reading comes easy to me. I am one of those people that picks up a book, and quickly gets wrapped into each and every word being read. I tend to get emotionally invested in most cases. Those of you who know me also know that it usually does not take me more than a month to get through a book.
I have been reading Nicholas Kristof's column in the New York Times for quite some time now, and must say I am never less than inspired and impressed. Needless to say, when I found out he and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, were writing a book together, it soared right to the top of my must-read list. Not only are they the first married couple to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism, but the book is about "turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide"- like I said, a must-read. I picked up my copy of Half The Sky at good old Borders one night after work, and after getting over my disappointment of not being able to stay there for the rest of my life (OK, so I admit this happens often), I drove home. I was like child with a new toy, filled with excitement and curiosity.
A couple of pages into the introduction of the book, the excitement turned into indignation, and the curiosity into responsibility to do something about it. As I continued to read, I found myself putting it down at times just to get a hold of my emotions. When I read the stories like that of the 3 year old baby girl that was repeatedly raped by soldiers in the Congo and eventually killed after they fired their guns into her, it's hard not to get emotionally invested. To read, time and again, of the thousands of mass rapes and honor killings, deaths due to lack of health care and education because of their gender, girls being trafficked and turned into prostitutes by age 11, and in many cases at a younger age; the list just goes on and on.
We are wrong if we think this is not our problem or our responsibility. As a young woman, I am broken by the suffering my sisters worldwide have had to, and continue to unjustly endure. I can not imagine what it would be like to be kidnapped, repeatedly raped for days, returned home,and since I am a girl, I am not worth spending the money at a hospital to be treated; so I am left to be eaten by wild animals by my own family because they can not stand the smell coming from the fistulas or infections in my body caused by the rapes. I am a daughter, sister and hope to be a mother some day... these women too. It is our responsibility.
"Every year, at least another 2 million girls worldwide disappear because of gender discrimination. ... We believe that in this century the paramount moral challenge will be the struggle for gender equality in the developing world." -Half The Sky
When I started this blog, I made the decision and stated that "I choose to be an advocate for change and equality for the voiceless." Well, now I am making the decision to advocate through action and social entrepreneurship. So this post is a battle-cry to my fellow sisters to take action. Get educated and get involved.
I encourage you to visit Half The Sky and join the movement. Remember you're not going to fix the global problem, but make a significant difference. If everyone does that, well then we just might change the world after all! Make the decision to make a difference World Changer... that would be You!
As some of you know, Home of Change has become more than a blog for me. After much thought and planning I am looking into taking action formally beginning towards the first months of 2010.I have decided to hold up my piece of half the sky.
