I wrote this for extra credit in my English class. I find it super interesting and motivating:
After visiting the Women Hold Up Half The Sky exhibit
at the Skirball Cultural Center, it is easily noticed that girls and
women are treated extremely different throughout the world. Being in a
safe environment and receiving the healthcare when needed is definitely
not something every country can say they have the benefit in having so.
More than 60 million women who should still be alive today are defined as “missing” because of the violence or other forms of gender discrimination. A woman dies every ninety seconds due to complications during childbirth. One example is when a woman, by the name of Delfina, went into the hospital in her home country, Bolivia, to seek medical attention during her pregnancy. She went quite regularly but when she was given medication for high blood pressure, the access to doctors became limited. After six months, she visited the hospital again after attaining a headache. It was too late. She was diagnosed with eclampsia. Delfina fell into a coma and baby daughter died three days later. This is a somewhat rare disease that is mostly found in pregnant women and suffer from high blood pressure. If the doctors were more proactive in assisting with this medical issue, it could have been treated properly and the lives of these innocent souls could have been saved. This is a fine example of how many women are treated due to the lack of guidance found within the health-system.
Around the world, a total of 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day. An additional 1.5 billion people live on less than $2 a day and when combined, this is almost half of the world's population. Sixty percent of the poorest people on the planet are female. But when women and girls are given the opportunity, they have been known to become powerful and ambitious for change in society. When women participate in the economy, the household incomes increase, making it possible to invest in health care, better foods, education, and organizing a better foundation for social changes. For example, Goretti was given a $2.00 microloan from CARE's economic empowerment program. She was able to earn $7.50 on her potato crop. Goretti returned the loan which cost her $2.30, and is then used for another woman within Goretti's association. The remainder portion of Goretti's earnings were used to buy bananas to start her banana beer business. From CARE's program, 17,000,000 people were able to increase their household incomes. Educating girls has been recognized as one of the most effective ways to fight poverty.
Not all women are given this opportunity, and suffer from violence. Nicolas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, authors of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, traveled to eastern Congo and asked to speak to a rape victim within a campground full of displaced people. One victim was brought over. But, to ensure her privacy, she was taken to a tree away from the other people, but after ten minutes of chatting with the victim, a long line of women formed nearby. “What are you all doing here?” the woman asked. “We're all rape victims,” explained the woman in front. “We're all waiting to tell our stories, too.”
Many women have little control and want their word out so people from around the world are educated with their story. Being recognized is something that many women lack and to speak freely is so inspirational. When visiting the exhibit, the opportunity was given to donate either shelter, food, or clothing to any country in the world on the provided iPads. Although it may seem like a small impact on such a large issue, it quickly adds up from all the visitors and gives girls and women a second chance.
After visiting the Women Hold Up Half The Sky exhibit
at the Skirball Cultural Center, it is easily noticed that girls and
women are treated extremely different throughout the world. Being in a
safe environment and receiving the healthcare when needed is definitely
not something every country can say they have the benefit in having so.More than 60 million women who should still be alive today are defined as “missing” because of the violence or other forms of gender discrimination. A woman dies every ninety seconds due to complications during childbirth. One example is when a woman, by the name of Delfina, went into the hospital in her home country, Bolivia, to seek medical attention during her pregnancy. She went quite regularly but when she was given medication for high blood pressure, the access to doctors became limited. After six months, she visited the hospital again after attaining a headache. It was too late. She was diagnosed with eclampsia. Delfina fell into a coma and baby daughter died three days later. This is a somewhat rare disease that is mostly found in pregnant women and suffer from high blood pressure. If the doctors were more proactive in assisting with this medical issue, it could have been treated properly and the lives of these innocent souls could have been saved. This is a fine example of how many women are treated due to the lack of guidance found within the health-system.
Around the world, a total of 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day. An additional 1.5 billion people live on less than $2 a day and when combined, this is almost half of the world's population. Sixty percent of the poorest people on the planet are female. But when women and girls are given the opportunity, they have been known to become powerful and ambitious for change in society. When women participate in the economy, the household incomes increase, making it possible to invest in health care, better foods, education, and organizing a better foundation for social changes. For example, Goretti was given a $2.00 microloan from CARE's economic empowerment program. She was able to earn $7.50 on her potato crop. Goretti returned the loan which cost her $2.30, and is then used for another woman within Goretti's association. The remainder portion of Goretti's earnings were used to buy bananas to start her banana beer business. From CARE's program, 17,000,000 people were able to increase their household incomes. Educating girls has been recognized as one of the most effective ways to fight poverty.
Not all women are given this opportunity, and suffer from violence. Nicolas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, authors of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, traveled to eastern Congo and asked to speak to a rape victim within a campground full of displaced people. One victim was brought over. But, to ensure her privacy, she was taken to a tree away from the other people, but after ten minutes of chatting with the victim, a long line of women formed nearby. “What are you all doing here?” the woman asked. “We're all rape victims,” explained the woman in front. “We're all waiting to tell our stories, too.”
Many women have little control and want their word out so people from around the world are educated with their story. Being recognized is something that many women lack and to speak freely is so inspirational. When visiting the exhibit, the opportunity was given to donate either shelter, food, or clothing to any country in the world on the provided iPads. Although it may seem like a small impact on such a large issue, it quickly adds up from all the visitors and gives girls and women a second chance.