Happy International Women's Day!

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn is the 16th book I’ve read so far this year; I’ve started to write up a summary of it for the 95 Books blog, but have been struggling because it’s a really important book and I’d like to do it justice.

For now, check out the website to get a sense of the book’s scope. Also check out the long list of charities that help women in the developing world (all, frustratingly, American charities, although some have Canadian chapters, i.e. CARE).

Also, check out non-charitable philanthropic opportunities, like Kiva.org (you can lend money in increments of $25 to women entrepreneurs throughout the developing world) and Women for Women International (you can sponsor a woman who has survived war by providing financial assistance to her and her family, funding her rights awareness and job skills training, and writing her letters of support).

The disparity between the freedom and opportunity we enjoy in the first world and the oppression many women suffer in the developing world is profound and troubling. "Women's liberation" might seem like an antiquated term but it's still a vital concept, and it won't be complete until all women have some measure of autonomy, power, and self-respect. Let's make it happen.