Today!

Half the Sky co-author Sheryl WuDunn will speak at the Hoff Theater in the STAMP today at 3pm! Free Half the Sky posters at the door!

Education

If there’s a school, why is it sometimes hard to get girls to attend?

D.I.Y. Foreign Aid Revolution by Nicholas Kristof (NYTimes) October 20, 2010.

What about men?

The authors tell us that men and women treated so differently in developing countries.

"Why is acid thrown in women's faces, but not in men's? Why are women so much more likely to be stripped naked and sexually humiliated than men? Why is it that in many cultures, old men are respected as patriarchs, while old women are taken outside the village to die of thirst or be eaten by wild animals?" Half the Sky, p. 67

What things would have to take place to change this?

God Gulf

The authors talk about the “God gulf.” Describe an example of it from the book. Why does each side believe they are right? Can you think of ways to get each side to listen to the other?

Good Intentions Gone Wrong

On page 27, there is an example of “good intentions gone wrong.” Senator Harkin introduced legislation banning products made by young girls in Bangladesh. As a result, Bangladeshi factories shut down and girls ended up in brothels. What do you think should be done?

On page 210, the authors state that Chinese sweatshops have given women a boost because they no longer have to toil in the fields. Yet factory women face forced overtime, sexual harassment, and dangerous working conditions. Do you agree with this statement?