My passion, Half The Sky

For our journalism class we were told to write about something that appeals to us personally. Something we're truly passionate about. From the moment this was assigned, I thought of the Half The Sky Movement.


I watched the 4 hour documentary last Tuesday and Wednesday, and was truly inspired. It started out as just another PBS documentary my mom wanted me to watch (not that they're not good). But Half The Sky is about issues that effect women everywhere. The documentary, based off a 2009 novel by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, depicts the terrible oppression women are under world wide. It focuses on issues such as: gender discrimination,  prostitution, sex trafficking, women's education, violence and genital mutilation. The purpose is not solely to draw attention to these issues, it's to show support and recognize thee amazing ways many of these women have turned their oppression into opportunity.


What I admire so much about this documentary, is the call to action. The examples of abused women really appeal to the viewers ethics. The documentary also shows how people have already risen up to the occasion to help. Celebrities such as America Ferrera, Eva Mendez, and several others volunteered to help draw attention to these women, who have turned their oppression into opportunity.

I work for a peace organization during the summer, which i'll probably blog about in the future. My experiences with this organization, Little Friends For Peace, my church, my girl scout troop, and other service projects i've been involved in, have helped me to learn empathy and compassion. It is a dream mof mine to work in impoverished areas and countries in order to teach newer generations the values of peace, and gain hope for a more loving, and accepting future. Half the sky has contributed to this dream of mine, and has allowed me to become more interested and informed.

For those reading this who haven't read the book, which i'm currently reading, or watched the documentary Half The Sky, I strongly recommend it. Highly ignored topics such as women's oppression deserve more attention and change.



http://www.halftheskymovement.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_the_Sky:_Turning_Oppression_into_Opportunity_for_Women_Worldwide