Changing the world one person at a time

Raise your hand if you like to read depressing books.  Now I can’t see any of you, so I expect to see a few comments about some of the books you’ve read that aren’t the fluffy, feel good kinda books.

I like reading these types of books, because a lot of the time they make you think; they expose you to issues, tough issues, which many shy away from.  The book I’m reading right now is probably the most depressing book I have EVER read.  It’s called Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.  The writers of the book, Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, won the Pulitzer Prize for their tremendous work.

As the title suggests, the book talks about the violence and atrocities women are subjected to in poor countries.  This book has opened my eyes to some of the most horrible things you could ever imagine – worse than death – and some of the most amazing stories of overcoming adversity I have ever heard.  While the book tells stories of horror and      wonderment all in one package, it spreads the word of the importance of educating women.  As women become more educated the more they are able to fight back against the cruelties they face and make their own decisions.

While this book is definitely the most depressing piece of writing I have ever undertaken to read, it is also the most rewarding.  To hear the stories about how women in very poor countries rise above stereotypes and fight oppression is amazing.  To hear what goes on outside our North American bubble truly makes me feel so lucky to have been brought up here in Canada.  

But it also gets me thinking about my sisters’ abroad, and what could I possibly do to help them in some way.  According to the book, “more girls have been killed in the last fifty years, precisely because they were girls, than men were killed in all the battles of the twentieth century.”  This stat is outrageous! I hope this blog post doesn’t scare you from reading this book, but encourages you to read it and want to help change how women are treated at home and abroad.  Women everywhere need our help; we should do whatever we can, because we could have so easily ended up in their place.