Approx. Reading Level: Grade 9/ SSS1
DiMon Ju, a sixth grader from a rural village outside of Beijing, China was intelligent and passionate about education. However, Ju could not afford the thirteen-dollar tuition required. As a result, she was forced to stay home from school. When Ju’s story was published in the New York Times back in the 1990s, donations poured in. These donations allowed for not only Ju to attend school, but also for many of the girls in her village to go to school as well. Ju later went on to attend college and find a stable job in her field. The financial independence that came from earning a salary helped her to improve her quality of life, assist her once struggling parents and give back to the community. In the years since Ju began attending school again, her town and the surrounding villages have seen progress and importantly less poverty.
Girls across the globe face challenges like Ju’s that keep them from school. What would happen if these girls could continue in school? Like Ju, could one girl make a difference for her entire community? These are the questions in the novel, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Written by husband and wife team, Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristoff, Half the Sky focuses on gender inequality and women’s oppression worldwide. Half the Sky shows that, “gender discrimination is lethal.” The solution? Educate and empower young girls. Sheryl WuDunn, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, discussed these ideas and more during her talk at Lincoln School for Girls in Providence, Rhode Island USA. Recounting Ju’s experience and others similar, WuDunn spoke about education as a tool to improve women’s status globally—combatting discrimination and violence.
When asked why she started her campaign for girls’ education, WuDunn gave a surprising answer. She spoke about her life as a journalist. Her assignments take her all over the world. In her travels, she has seen firsthand how the women’s rights impact the larger population. WuDunn and her husband decided to investigate. Their search led them to a single conclusion: women are the key to solving many of the world’s problems. Giving women independence enhanced life for all in the given region. Taking examples of girls from all corners of the globe, WuDunn found that positive impact comes from educating and supporting women. Through these girls’ newly established independence, they strengthened their communities.
WuDunn’s message is encapsulated in her research her personal success. Her accolades as an accomplished business executive, journalist, writer and lecturer provide young girls with a model which to aspire. Through her work and knowledge, she has educated many people on the difficulties many women are forced to face. Half the Sky is now much more than a novel, it is a movement.
WuDunn, much like DiMon Ju and the girls of her village, demonstrates that access to education makes empowerment possible. Both WuDunn and Ju are setting a new standard, a standard where women are given equal opportunity to thrive.
Definitions:
Pulitzer Prize: First awarded in 1917, this prestigious award is given to an individual or group for an achievement in American journalism, literature, or music. Only thirteen are awarded each year.
encapsulate: (v) to express the essential features of
accolade: (n) an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit
