An International Women's Movement - Four Principles
The final chapter in Half the Sky discusses social change movements and lays out four principles that a worldwide women's movement to address inequality, education, and health needs should adhere to:
- Coalitions should bridge political, religious, and social perspectives;
- Don't undermine your own credibility by overselling and exaggerating findings - being passionate is a good thing unless you let it cloud your ability to thing and problem solve as objectively as possible;
- The health and education of boys and men should not be ignored - certain initiatives that target men can be just as beneficial for women;
- Groups and individuals should exchange parochial views and actions for a more global focused outlook.
The author adds a fifth principle that should be applied throughout: flexibility.
Do you agree with these principles? What would you adjust or change?
And, in general, what can you do about the issues discussed in this book?
And, in general, what can you do about the issues discussed in this book?
I would agree with these principles. I feel that the fifth principle of flexiblility is how you should solve the first 4 principles. Every country is different in how they view man/woman, the world, and how we should treat it. Different methods need to be applied to different areas becuse it has been shown througout time that no one way of doing something will work for everyone. Some people are visual learners while others prefer to learn by reading. You should use these principles as a guideline and act on them with flexibility.
ReplyDeleteI can contribute not just money to organizations from the book but also go out in my own city and stop inequalities here because it is still very prevalent in our country as well. Also, letting people around me about what is going on worldwide. I have already told many of my friends from school and from home and also let my family know about it. I have get some friends on board and many are interested in either volunteering or dedicating a part of their studies to going abroad and help enabling people that are vulnerable.
Like John, I also agree with these principles. Describing the first one, I beleive that if people didn't try to get a long and tried to bring together differnt political, social and religious views, then humans would be headed nowhere. Attempting to bring political, social and religious views together or at least understand, is important so that everyone can understand one another and hopefully successfully partner with others to excel.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the health and education of boys, men, girls and women, there should be efforts to expand knowledge and education in areas where education is limited so that the individuals and families know more about managing/budgeting, health issues and diseases. I know that there are areas where women are not treated as well as men, but what should be stressed is that education for women will ultimately benefit the household. Like the fifth principle, everyone needs to be flexible. The people that practice religions that limit women's rights, must be explained why they should try and accept women as equals.
As of now, what I can do to help besides donate money is donate my time. Find areas, neighborhoods with people that want to do something with their life and find a way for them to do that. There is no one specific way of going about doing this until you know that the person you are going to help, has full confidence and is going to strive to do their best. Like microcredit, it can help a lot of people, but if there are individuals that don't feel like working, then they will build up debt and if they don't change then they're done.
I definitely agree with the principles that are laid out to address inequality, health and education. There should be some guidelines to pertain to when trying to make a difference in these areas in specific countries. One area I would make more clear is the second principle about not exaggerating findings and getting too caught up in what you're doing. I feel that people who do get caught up in the moment don't make as much progress as they should further down the line, but the principle stated makes it seem like you shouldn't get too involved in what you're doing because it will distort your ability to make logical decisions. I think it should state something more along the lines of not getting caught up in one thing while you neglect others that need to be tended to.
ReplyDeleteI can donate money to organizations that help children in developing countries pay for school. Another way to make a difference is sponsor someone. That way I could personally communicate with the individual I am helping through letters and/or visits. Last but not least, I can make a difference in my own community by volunteering my time to help those in need. There is plenty going on in my own community that I could help make a difference in and here in North Carolina would be a good place to start.
I definitely agree with these principles. I think that these principles are key to a successful society. The fifth principle of flexibility is just as important as the first four. Without flexibility and compromise the first four principles would not work. Health and education is important for everyone whether it is a boy or a girl. For a society to function every member should have a voice and every opinion should be considered.
ReplyDeleteThis book has taught me a lot. It is easy to overlook things when they are happening across the world or are not personally affecting me. This book helped to show me the difference people can make. Money can go a lot father in impoverished countries and every little bit helps. Like Claire, John, and Taylor said I think the main thing you can do is donate, whether it be time or money everything helps and can make a difference. Another thing is to educate the more people that know about the hardships these women and countries are facing the more people will want to help. People can not change or attempt to help if they do not know about the problem in the first place.
The main thing I feel these principles don’t cover is the need for bottom-up solutions. Each chapter spoke of successful and unsuccessful projects aimed at helping empower women. What I saw consistently was that projects created without input from those being helped tended to be less successful than those created with the support and knowledge of the community. This ties in strongly with the fifth principle of flexibility. Outside help may think they know the solution, but a lot of times they may not even know the problem. By going into an area open-minded and asking the community what they need and what they can do on their own, the program created will truly meet their needs and build on their strengths.
ReplyDeleteAs to the other four principles I think number one is true but a bit out of reach. There are too many different ways of looking at the world to truly bridge all boundaries. The closest I think we will be able to come is to not link the movement with one particular group. By not making this a “women’s issue” or a “Muslim issue” it’s possible to keep certain large groups from taking sides against the movement to empower women. I think principle number two will help in not driving away groups with different goals, if nothing else it will give opposing views less to use against the movement to discredit it. The other two principles seem straight forward and possible. Programs that are targeting all children as opposed to just girls seem more likely to gain community support, especially in the short term, and the world is becoming more globally focused every day.
The last chapter gives four steps to getting started improving the lives of women around the world. I’ve already joined Kiva, but I’ll have to check out Global Giving and givology.com. Another way I could give money is to sponsor a woman or girl through one of the organizations listed. I’m more likely to join a CARE action network to help influence political focus and educate those around me. Once I’m more comfortable finding my way around Kiva then I’ll start looking at other organizations that donate to small entrepreneurs such as Ashoka.