Learn about the issues women face around the world and
the solutions that are empowering them.
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Half the Sky
by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Half the Sky bravely confronts and exposes the different issues, inequalities, and injustices women face around the world; issues such as maternal mortality, access to education and health care, abuse, rape, trafficking, female genital mutilation, and more. Kristoff and WuDunn are accomplished journalists, so Half the Sky is very thorough and delves deep into the issues encountered. Yet the book captures your heart as the reader is introduced to heroic individuals who are fighting on behalf of women around the world. "With Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as our guides, we undertake an odyssey through Africa and Asia to meet the extraordinary women struggling there. Drawing on the breadth of their combined reporting experience, Kristof and WuDunn depict our world with anger, sadness, clarity, and, ultimately, hope. They show how a little help can transform the lives of women and girls. Through these stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women’s potential. They make clear how so many people have helped to do just that, and how we can each do our part. Throughout much of the world, the greatest unexploited economic resource is the female half of the population. Unleashing that process globally is not only the right thing to do; it’s also the best strategy for fighting poverty. Deeply felt, pragmatic, and inspirational, Half the Sky is essential reading for every global citizen." -HalfTheSkyMovement.Org |
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Lean In
by Sheryl Sandberg Sheryl has served as the COO of Facebook since 2008 and was previously a VP at Google. In 2010, Sheryl hosted a TED Talk on the ways women are held back, and how they hold themselves back. Due to the immense popularity and support she received after giving the talk, she wrote Lean In to delve deeper into the issue of women, their life and careers. "In Lean In, Sheryl shares her personal stories, uses research to shine a light on gender differences and inequality, and offers practical advice to help women achieve their goals. The book challenges us to change the conversation from what women can't do to what we can do, and serves as a rallying cry for us to work together to create a more equal world." -LeanIn.Org |
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Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse
by Suraya Sadeed Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse is Suraya Sadeed's story of how she left her success and life in the U.S. in order to help the most vulnerable women and children in her native Afghanistan. Sadeed's journey is an example of sacrificing personal safety, wealth, and comfort for the sake of others, a life of dedication and service to the poor. "She went to areas where aid agencies, journalists and politicians feared to tread, defying warlords, drug traffickers, warring militias and the Taliban to bring help to those who mattered most - the suffering women and children. By camelback, bullet-pocked helicopter, ancient boat, horseback and on foot she traveled where others refused to venture, using her unquenchable spirit and her stubborn will to bring love, laughter, knowledge and caring to those who had nothing. At times beautiful, evocative and full of light, her story plumbs the depths of human suffering in a country ravaged by war – one in which Suraya never loses her humanity and her heartfelt love for those she has come to help." -SurayaSadeed.Com |
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A Thousand Sisters
by Lisa Shannon A Thousand Sisters is the story of how one woman went from living a "good" life to living a passionately engaged life, fighting for women in the Congo. When Lisa Shannon saw an Oprah episode about the horrors and atrocities faced by Congolese women, her entire world changed. She began running to raise money for Women for Women International, an organization that sponsors women in war-torn regions. Shannon's efforts turned into a movement, and the Run for Congo Women foundation was born. A Thousand Sisters shares Shannon's journey, her experiences in the Congo, and the women she has met and helped along the way; challenging the reader to break out of an ordinary life, transcend cultural, linguistic, and geographic boundaries, and reach out to our fellow sisters around the world. |
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Global Girlfriends
by Stacey Edgar Similar to Lisa Shannon's story, Global Girlfriends is the story of how an ordinary "soccer mom" from the U.S. has worked to change the lives of women around the world through economic empowerment. I read Global Girlfriends when I first became interested in fair trade business, and found it to be an exciting inside look into the world of fair trade. I would primarily recommend Global Girlfriends as light reading for those interested in fair trade. "Nine years ago, Stacey Edgar had a two-thousand-dollar tax return and a deep desire to help provide economic security for women in need. She knew that of the 1.3 billion people living on less than one dollar per day, seventy percent are women. What she didn’t have was a business plan. Or a passport. But that didn’t stop her from creating Global Girlfriend, a multi-million dollar, socially conscious business that has helped women on five continents feed their families and send their children to school. Global Girlfriends is Stacey’s inspiring story of following her convictions, interwoven with the stories of her colleagues and friends – real women all over the world, from Guatemala to Nepal, from Haiti to Uganda. It is also a passionate argument for simple actions we can all take to eliminate extreme poverty." -Amazon |
