#a path appears

Emma Watson, (Huffpost September 2016 Interview)

She was trafficked at the age of 15 by the very people she trusted. She now works with My Life My Choice to prevent the exploitation and abuse of young girls. Press play to listen and join others to rally behind all the brave survivors of sex trafficking.

This week only, any amount you give to support these courageous women and girls will be DOUBLED! Every dollar counts: http://bit.ly/2aqkvSK

The saying “women hold up half the sky” is often attributed to Mao Zedong. Whatever else might be said about the Chinese Communist Revolution, Mao did push for the abolishment of child marriage, prostitution, and concubinage as well as getting women into the workforce and appointed to the Central Committee of the Communist Party. This is according to authors Nicholas D. Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn, in their book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (2009, Vintage Books).

Other sources refer to the ancient Chinese proverb “Women hold up half the sky, but it’s the heavier half” (Kelly Osterhaler, 2009) and note that it’s been attributed to Confucius as well as to Mao Zedong.  Whatever the source, the oppression of women and girls continues to be one of the world’s major humanitarian issues.

Confucius statue

WuDunn and Kristoff are the first married couple to win a Pulitzer Prize for journalism. WuDunn is also the first Asian American to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Their book, PBS documentary series (2012), and Half the Sky Movement: The Game (no longer available, but you can still watch the trailer here and check out other social impact games at Games for Change) focus on sex trafficking, maternal mortality, sexual violence, microfinance, and girls’ education.

Heavy subjects, yes, but also subjects we can work to make changes toward and improve the lives of everyone across the globe. Kristoff and WuDunn note on page xxii in the introduction to the book, “We hope to recruit you to join an incipient movement to emancipate women and fight global poverty by unlocking women’s power as economic catalysts. That is the process underway–not a drama of victimization but of empowerment, the kind that transforms bubbly teenage girls from brothel slaves into successful business women.” They also offer practical ideas for way we can all help. The last two chapters of the book are What You Can Do and Four Steps You Can Take in the Next Ten Minutes. I think we can all spare ten minutes! You can also follow the lives of the women featured in the documentary series on the Half the Sky website. Women such as Rebecca Lolosoli in Kenya

and  Duyen, Phung, and Nhi as they continue their education in Vietnam.

In 2014, WuDunn and Kristoff published A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity (Knopf Doubleday), which begins with another quote:

“Hope is like a path in the countryside. Originally, there is nothing – but as people walk this way again and again, a path appears.” —Lu Xun, Chinese essayist, 1921

Lu Xun

This was also made into a PBS series, in 2015. See the trailer here. The United States is featured with other countries in this series, with episodes that include a survivor of sex trafficking in Nashville, breaking the cycle of poverty in West Virginia, and 2 organizations in Atlanta that combat domestic violence.

Find out more about ways to help and to share your story at A Path Appears.

Hey students!

Are you interested in starting a conversation about domestic sex trafficking and mobilizing action to help fight it? Apply for a screening grant and host A Path Appears on your campus! Here's how: http://bit.ly/1IVV5da

Your passion and conviction can inspire others to take action and help #endsextrafficking. We are offering small grants to U.S.-based student Ambassadors who are hosting screenings of episode one of A Path Appears: “Sex Trafficking in the U.S.A.”