Whenever I see these sort of blanket calls to solve global problems by mouthing global platitudes, I wince. Like this one by television journalist Ann Curry, where she writes, "@libbey Wouldn't it be something if women in America spoke up for equality for women everywhere? The world would change."
Following the herd, we're supposed to go to the Half the Sky link and...consume. Watch, click, watch, read.
Then we are to, er. somehow "speak up for equality for women everywhere". How? Ok, I'm for equality for women everywhere. Done. *Looks around*. Did anything change? Oh, I know she means well, and it's all good, raising awareness.
To be sure, @AnnCurry's answer to @libbey came in response in fact to Nicholas Kristof in fact writing about one woman in Pakistan. But he doesn't provide any suggestions for actions...nor do the people commenting on his column who lurch around from the topic of health care and the need to "educate" people in the U.S. about it, and trying to link this up with the problem of the feudal/tribal male-dominated culture of Pakistan. No concrete remedies here, just a lot of ranting, raving and...reading.
I guess I prefer trying to focus on more concrete cases and issues, however. For example, right now in Khartoum, there's a woman, Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein -- a former UN employee, as it happens -- who was jailed for daring to wear pants in an Islamic society where that is heavily discouraged. She faces 40 lashes of the whip for this bravery. Amnesty International has taken up the case -- but seems to insist that you first register with their site before they'll give you information and let you take part in an action on the case.
So how about going to the Government of Sudan's website yourself directly, which actually has a handy complaint form or contact the Minister of Justice or write the president or ministers on e-mail and politely express your protest against jailing a woman for what she decides to wear in public.
And I will research what could be specifically done for Mukhtar Mai besides merely being inspired about her and reading about her...until she is jailed or shot like other women leaders in Pakistan...
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