Key Messages
How To Fight Gender Inequality And End Human Trafficking: A Comprehensive Guide
There’s a terrible truth about global gender inequality, and it’s one that affects women and men alike.
All around the world, women are often treated like slaves, bought and sold to be sexually abused.
How can this go on in our modern day?
The answer lies in a deeply misogynistic culture across the globe.
But unfortunately, many of the steps we take to address this problem make it worse instead of better.
So what can we do to create a more equal world?
In Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, you’ll learn why prostitution should not be regulated but outlawed; why so many women return to prostitution once they’ve been rescued from it; and even how iodizing salt is related to fighting global gender inequality!
By reading this book, you can gain insight into these difficult issues and discover what actions each of us can take in order to make positive change for women everywhere.
The Horrible Reality Of Modern Slavery: The Will-Breaking, Humiliating Trade In Sex Slaves
The disturbing truth is that sex slavery exists because certain women are viewed as “discounted humans.” This exploitative mindset has enabled traffickers to transport and lock up more enslaved women in brothels annually than the number of African slaves sent to plantations in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sex slavery differs from prostitution, which is voluntary – generally, women resort to it due to financial pressure.
Sex slaves, however, are physically forced into it – they endure up to 15 hours a day of servitude, often unpaid and frequently subjected to physical abuse.
Humiliation is a key tactic used by traffickers in order for them to break their victims’ wills and keep them in these bleak conditions.
There’s an implicit contract driving the demand for sex slaves: allowing men satisfy themselves with lower-class girls so upper-class girls can maintain their “virtuousness”.
In fact, border officers of India often allow traffickers and their victims through with relative ease compared to smuggled goods or weapons; some officers even consider prostitution inevitable as an outlet for unmarried men aged 30 plus forwards believe sacrificing peasant girls (who are often Nepalese) keeps good middle class Indian girls safe from the same fate.
The implications of viewing certain people as “discounted humans” still resonates strongly today despite improvements throughout history; unfortunately this dark side of humanity will continue if we do not act now with perseverance and strength.
We Need Education And Empowerment To Combat The Sex Trafficking Industry
The movement against sex slavery needs strong and charismatic leaders, unified support amongst its members, and follow-up work in order to be successful.
Martin Luther King Jr.
and Mahatma Gandhi are two remarkable examples of the power that charisma can have within a social movement, yet there is a definite lack of such leaders in the global fight against sex trafficking.
Fortunately, we can count on emerging leaders like Zach Hunter—who founded Loose Change to Loosen Chains (LC2LC) when he was only in seventh grade—to encourage public support for this cause.
It is necessary to create an environment focused on unity within the abolitionist movement so progress can be made.
Debates remain over whether or not prostitution should be allowed between adults; however, arguments that it should not become commercialized through forced labor are generally agreed upon by all sides.
Consequently, reducing harm from modern-day sex slavery requires individuals to come together rather than supporting merely one approach to combat it: relying on governmental regulations such as directing entry points for foreigners via airport screenings, forcing brothels to close down and clean up their businesses, aiding victims through providing job training, offering drug rehabilitation services, etc., is proven more effective than legalizing prostitution and then regulating it.
While freeing women from the bondage of such illegal institutions may appear uncomplicated at first glance, one of the hardest parts about economic emancipation through liberation lies in keeping them safe once released back into their homes and communities amidst lingering social stigmas toward them.
For example, Srey Momm endured repeated rescues arranged by non-profit organizations such as World Assistance for Cambodia (formerly American Assistance for Cambodia); however her interest was eventually piqued again when drugs became available readily inside the sexual exploitation zones she found herself being lured back into due to her addiction.
To best address this issue highlighting why reintroducing victims into society is much harder than envisaging them free having been rescued once already requires people understanding female strength needs not come at the price of subjugation while simultaneously funding educational programs tailored toward vulnerable youths who are most susceptible to such force labor settings.
Misogyny Is A Global Problem, But Local Solutions And Education Are Key To Overcoming It
It is a sad truth that sexism and misogyny are deeply embedded in human culture, making them difficult to defeat.
This is exemplified by Zoya Najabi, a woman from a middle-class family in Kabul who was beaten and nearly drowned by her husband because of her housework.
And 16-year-old Noel Rwabirinba, a male child soldier in the Congo, believes that soldiers have the right to rape people.
Those examples demonstrate the pervasive effects of sexism and misogyny throughout the world, even among women who often run brothels or feed their sons before their daughters.
What’s more alarming is that it has become so ingrained in our being that we may not realize how much damage it can do until it has already been done.
In one instance, a UN project resulted in men taking over and using the profits for beer while women were left with even less income than before the project started — all due to cultural ignorance of local customs regarding staple crops versus cash crops.
It takes strong local leadership and continuous education to break free from these damaging beliefs about gender roles and violence against women.
Unfortunately, this process can be slow and challenging but it will be well worth it if successful — as sex-related violence against women between 15–44 years old kills more people than war, cancer, malaria, and traffic accidents combined.
Educating Girls, Improving Health Infrastructure, And Increasing Respect For Women Are Keys To Preventing Maternal Mortality
Maternal mortality is a global health issue that takes the lives of roughly five jumbo jets worth of women every day and is often never reported or discussed on major news outlets.
It’s not only a medical problem and there are both sociological and biological reasons responsible for its high rate.
Take the story of Simeesh Segaye, a 21-year-old Ethiopian who couldn’t even take the bus to the hospital due to her condition leaking urine and feces.
Her husband left her, her parents built a separate hut for her and she stayed in it for two years in pain with no help from anyone.
This highlights how poverty, lack of education and disregard for women contribute to reproductive issues like impossible pregnancies.
Studies have also indicated that helping young girls stay in school longer can help reduce maternal mortality because it delays marriage until they are old enough to give birth more safely.
These findings point towards how social economic issues can easily play a role in cases like this one.
It’s clear that there are both biological and sociological factors at play when trying to understand why so many women suffer dangerous, if not fatal childbirths – making this an incredibly urgent and necessary subject matter requiring attention now!
How Religion Impacts Gender Equality And Inequality Around The World
It’s no secret that religion often has a deep impact on gender inequality.
This is most evident in the ‘God gulf’ between secular liberals and conservative Christians, particularly when they debate abortion policies.
In many cases, this lack of funding leads to more unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions and needless deaths of women and girls.
The religious narrative also shapes the discussion in certain Islamic countries, where such abuses as honor killings are still prevalent.
It’s not just Islam though – historically, both Christianity and Judaism have had their issues with gender discrimination written into their holy books too.
Interestingly, when Prophet Muhammad introduced Islam 1400 years ago, it was surprisingly progressive compared to other religions at the time.
This could partially explain why it’s so hard for Muslims today to embrace female emancipation – many choose to adhere strictly to the literal words of the Quran instead of taking a progressive approach like Islamic feminists do.
Indeed, without meaning to point fingers at any single faith, it’s safe to say that all religions should take steps to ensure complete emancipation of women if they want the full potential of all citizens to be realized, regardless of gender.
That way, everyone can access important resources in order to build a better future for themselves and those around them.
Four Strategies For Achieving Gender Equality Through Education
Education is one of the most effective ways to help reduce gender inequality.
With education, women and girls are empowered to stand up for themselves and integrate into the economy in meaningful ways.
And there are many practical solutions that can help make a difference.
For example, adding iodine to salt can prevent brain damage, and studies have shown that iodine deficiency can lower a child’s IQ by up to 15 points.
In addition, providing girls with feminine hygiene products—including pads and tampons—can ensure that they don’t miss school days due to embarrassment or discomfort during their period.
More broadly, any movement for gender equality should adhere to four guiding principles: bridging the political divide between liberals and conservatives; being honest about data and not exaggerating findings; investing in local projects or volunteering directly to help underprivileged women; and recognizing that human rights should extend beyond our borders.
Furthering education is key but other methods such as using TV programming to introduce people to new ideas or concepts have also been shown to be helpful.
In fact, in an area of Brazil where Globo television network broadcasts television shows with characters who model responsible behaviors when it comes to having children, it has had an impact on lowering birthrates amongst women of lower socioeconomic classes.
Overall, investing in education is one of the best ways we can work towards eliminating gender inequality and ensuring that all people have access to the same opportunities regardless of their gender largely because it opens doors for many other possibilities such as fostering decision-making capabilities.
Wrap Up
The book Half the Sky is an inspiring and thought-provoking story of women across the world.
It emphasizes how inequality between men and women causes countless issues, ranging from sex trafficking to poor education and healthcare.
By empowering women and teaching men to view them as equals, we can unlock immense potential in overcoming these global problems.
The authors offer a clear call to action following their narrative: volunteer or donate for projects that aim to reduce gender inequality whenever possible – whether it’s a large city or small village, any help you can give can make a difference.
Investing your time and resources are both valuable investments in trying to achieve gender equality on a global level.
