Another woman, Pakistani model Qandeel Baloch, was strangled to death recently by her brother in an apparent “honor killing,” according to police in Pakistan. Times Magazine reports that a police spokeswoman told investigators that one of her brothers strangled her after she had argued with her brother over money issues and photos she had posted of herself with a Muslim cleric.
Baloch was known for being a social media celebrity who challenged conservative norms. She drew criticism recently when she posted the cleric’s photo and said they drank soda and smoked cigarettes during Ramadan’s daylight hours, which is when practicing Muslims typically fast, according to an AP report.
Many women die in Pakistan, as well as other countries, in “honor killings” each year. The women are often murdered by relatives as a form of punishment for violating traditional values, according to Nicholas D. Kriston and Sheryl WuDunn, authors of Half
the Sky, Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (2010), Vintage Books. The title, “Half the Sky” stems from a Chinese proverb, “women hold up half the sky.”
But Half the Sky reminds me of another Chinese proverb, “when sleeping women awake, mountains will move.” The premise of this book is that if women can become economically empowered in regions where women are not highly valued, their status will rise in those communities. With a rise in economic status, abhorrent behaviors against women and girls, such as honor killings, bride burnings, sex trafficking, child prostitution, female genitalia mutilation, maternal mortality and mass rape will diminish.
The authors believe that the 21st century might be the era when gender equality can be realized for more women if more people become involved in helping women from economically depressed regions start small businesses with microloans and help provide access to education for girls and women. To prove this point, several stories are told of women from poor regions who were able to benefit from education and/or micro loans and how their lives and their families’ lives improved in those communities.
Interspersed with the individual stories of women are some facts, such as more women and girls are being shipped into brothels in the 21st century than all of the Africans who were enslaved in the 1800's. Also, similar to the African slave trade, laws on the books that include the killing of a girl/woman who is a sex slave as murder are often ignored by local authorities. Thus, throughout the book, the authors note that advancement must be made in reality, not in changing laws [which are often ignored outside the capitals].
Additionally, throughout the book, the authors suggest that we get out and see the world to understand the problems firsthand, not just to read about them. But for those inclined to help from their home computers, the authors provide these four tips:
(1) Set up an account at Global giving: www.globalgiving.org or www.kiva.org.
(2) Sponsor a girl or woman through a help organization, such as Plan International, Women for Women International, World Vision, or American Jewish World Service.
(3) Sign up for email updates with ww.womensnews.org or www.woldpulse.com.
(4) Join the Care Action Network: www.can.care.org.
Thus, if we want to put an end to honor killings and other horrific acts against girls and women around the world, we can help by empowering women to become stronger economically. In time, this will raise their status in their families. With a rise in status, the women will not be as vulnerable to old cultural taboos that diminish women and make them vulnerable to abuse.
Rating: ***** out of 5. Even if you are not inclined to political activism, the world is becoming smaller and it is important to be aware of what is happening around the world. But the images this book evokes at times can be unsettling.
Copyright @ 2016 Christine Esser
This book can be purchased on Amazon by clicking the link below. Disclosure: We may receive a small commission from your purchase, but this will not raise the amount you pay. Thank you for reading this review. Comments are welcome. We have not received anything from the author or publisher in exchange for this review. This book was purchased, not a gift .
