How does helping other women help ourselves?

I am a strong advocate of human rights and have been very distressed about the situation of women in developing countries and the sex trade, human trafficking, forced prostitution and other heinous crimes against women and children.

One of the things that Nicholas Kristof points out in his book, Half The Sky, is that significant change in this issue has to come from regular citizens pushing for it, just as has happened throughout history. He sites the civil rights movement and the end of the slave trade in Britain centuries ago as prime examples. In other words, that means ME AND YOU.

If you would like to learn more about this extremely important issue and learn how you can help end the victimization and empower other women who have no voice currently I recommend reading:

Half The Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote peace….One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Actions you can take right now (from Kristof’s book):

1. Go to www.globalgiving.org or Kiva.org and open an account. You can start supporting women around the globe immediately with real time solutions, at a very low cost.

2. Sponsor a girl or a woman through Plan International, Women for Women International, World Vision, or American Jewish World Service.

3. Sign up for e-mail updates on www.womensenews.org and a similar service, www.worldpulse.com. Both distribute information about abuses of women and sometimes advise on actions that readers can take.

4. Join CARE Action Network at www.can.care.org

Giving back to others in need is a sure way to love ourselves more. Altruism and empathy heal the soul and get us out of our own struggles in support of anothers.