If you have access to the Internet, the world is at your fingertips — we all know this. In poking around for just a few minutes, I learned some very interesting things about gender-based injustice:
- Worldwide, about one in five women will experience rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.
- Two-thirds of all nonliterates (people who can’t read and write) are women. Why?
- 2011 is the global centenary year for International Women’s Day. More than 1 million women and men attended IWD rallies back in 1911.
Some helpful websites….
- United Nations site for the elimination of violence against women - load up on facts
- Get ready for International Women’s Day - see if your city is hosting an event (there are more than 800 worldwide!). Stay tuned for a series of Poverty 180 stories focused on women the week of March 8.
- Read the full Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum
- If you have three hours and really want to learn, walk through InterAction’s online course on gender needs
Ideas for further reading…. (be warned that due to the nature of this subject, some books contain graphic information)
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
By Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Details “gendercize” in developing nations and how women are a solution to poverty, not a cause of it.
By Azar Nafasi
A captivating memoir on surviving the war in Iran.
I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced
By Nujood Ali
The story of a Yemeni girl who is married off at age 10 and files for divorce.
Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence
By Judith Herman
Identifies parallels between private terrors such as rape and public traumas such as terrorism.
Sites of Violence: Gender and Conflict Zones
By Wenona Giles and Jennifer Hyndman
Essays exploring gender-injustice hot spots around the world.
Fighting for Girls: New Perspectives on Gender and Violence
By Meda Chesney and Nikki Jones
Great information and statistics on girls, mostly in the U.S.
Related posts:
- BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL! Defend women suffering from injustice – only $9/month
- Working with all sectors of society to protect women and girls
- Men lead the charge to protect women and girls from violence
- Holding out for justice in the Congo
- Four causes of violence against women in the Dominican Republic
