Welcome!

Purpose of Blog:
This blog will be documenting my research concerning female literacy and related health improvements. My original project was to collect information and statistics from various sources and databases and create a cumulative source documenting the positive effect of female literacy on women and children’s health in developing African countries. Having completed this research paper, I am now maintaining this blog as a place to share my further findings on the subject of female literacy and its effects on health, etc.



Some quick facts:
Female literacy has been shown to have a positive effect on health because “educated women are more likely to be employed and to earn more than less-educated women” (Daniell & Mortensen , 2007, p. 278), “an extra year of girls’ education can reduce infant mortality by 5-10 percent” and “educated mothers are about 50 percent more likely to immunize their children than uneducated mothers are” (Herz & Sperling, , 2004, p. 4).


References:
Daniell, B., & Mortensen, P. (2007). Women and literacy. New York: Taylor & Francis Group.
 Herz, B., & Sperling G. (2004). What works in girls’ education? New York: Council on Foreign Relations Inc.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Half the Sky

"Women hold up half the sky" --A Chinese Proverb

I am reading a beautiful book right now entitled "Half the Sky," which discusses at length the situation of women and girls in the world, and how women and girls can become agents for change. It is a devastating read, but it is real, and discusses straightforwardly the things that we often turn a blind eye to, saying "how sad," and then moving on. Even more importantly, it discusses in great detail the solutions (the most encouraged one of which is literacy!) to these issues, and how we can make a difference. I love this part of it, because I feel like so many books leave us feeling depressed and discouraged, feeling totally disconnected from the plight of our sisters in developing nations. Not so here. I encourage anyone interested in the situation of women and girls to read this book-- empower yourself to make a difference.

Here are a few responses from well-respected humanitarians and activists:
An unblinking look at one of the seminal moral challenges of our time. This stirring book is at once a savage indictment of gender inequality in the developing world and an inspiring testament to these women’s courage, resilience, and their struggle for hope and recovery. An unexpectedly uplifting read.

— Khaled Hosseini, author, The Kite Runner


I read Half the Sky in one sitting, staying up until 3 a.m. to do so. It is brilliant and inspirational, and I want to shout about it from the rooftops and mountains. It vividly illustrates how women have turned despair into prosperity and bravely nurtured hope to cultivate a bright future. The book ends with an especially compelling ‘What you can do’ to exhort us all to action.

— Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and humanitarian


It’s impossible to exaggerate the importance of this book about one of the most serious problems of our time: the worldwide abuse and exploitation of women. In addition to describing the injustices, Kristof and WuDunn show how concerned individuals everywhere are working effectively to empower women and help them overcome adversity. Wonderfully written and vividly descriptive, Half the Sky can and should galvanize support for reform on all levels. Inspiring as it is shocking, this book demands to be read.

— Anne Rice


To learn more about the book, visit it's website: http://www.halftheskymovement.org/.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)