Half the Sky

I am not one to really push a charity or social cause on anyone. I think it is wonderful that some people feel so passionate about one specific cause they want to let everyone know about it. However, I think it is difficult to try and force a social cause on someone.

BUT, the big but, is that I do think attempting to bring awareness to some social injustice is necessary. There are certain atrocities that go on in this world that people could very well never know about unless someone informs them.

The world-wide state of women and young girls is an example of an epidemic I had no real knowledge about. From the daunting statistics of the number of girls sold into sex slavery, the widespread, socially accepted gender based violence, the number of women who die tragic deaths simply trying to give birth, its tragic.

The book, Half the Sky, is written by a husband and wife who both worked for the New York Times as journalists. They wrote the book after years of research and first hand accounts of these wicked acts towards women. The book is necessarily graphic and informative. It brings to light issues I did not even know existed. 

So when Will, my thoughtful husband, saw that PBS was going to show the documentary on Half the Sky, I was excited to watch the video footage. The documentary is in two parts, each about two hours. We watched the first part on the PBS website. 

To see the faces of these girls as young as three who have been sold into brothels, is heart-wrenching. To hear them sing their stories about the torture they endured everyday, is sickening. But, also to see the tremendous work of certain individuals to rescue these girls, to give them hope, to provide funds for their education, its incredibly moving.

As a woman, and as a mother to a daughter, these stories touch almost too close. Imagining my wide-eyed, beautiful, baby girl experiencing such horrid abuse, is too much for me to handle.

I am not sure yet what my role will be in helping these women across the world flee their situation and help them in their quest for education, but I am thinking hard about it.

I encourage you to either read the book Half the sky or visit the PBS website and watch the documentary. It will be eye-opening.