When I was growing up in Connecticut, I never thought about life far beyond my own small town until a women’s organization was created at my high school my junior year. Woodland Worldwide was inspired by Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women World (HTS), which opened my eyes to the oppression women face for the first time, and allowed me to discover my purpose in life. From that moment on I have dedicated my life to promoting women’s rights and continue to grow as a leader and an activist with HTS as a constant source of inspiration.

I became a student leader in Woodland Worldwide as I created and delivered presentations about HTS to surrounding schools. I also helped organize and run our annual road race that raises funds for scholarships and various organizations including one that supports survivors of human trafficking, which we formed a relationship with because of HTS. I then helped this organization to develop a student action kit and attended the 2011 Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards Ceremony.

In 2011, I enrolled to study International Relations and Diplomacy, Women and Gender Studies, and Spanish at Seton Hall University in order to learn how to best protect human rights around the world. In 2012, I became the first HTS Campus Ambassador on my campus, which has been a dream come true as I have received unique support from the Campus Ambassador team, and my fellow ambassadors who share my passion for the movement. Due to my connection with non-profits, I also achieved my dream of interning with a foundation that fights human trafficking and I will continue my extensive work with sex trafficking as my career develops. I also participated in an interview with organizations that support the Campus Ambassador Program and was later invited to and attended the Millennials Matter: Mobilizing and Motivating a New Generation for Gender Equality in America conference with one of the leaders of the program.

During my sophomore year I also helped to establish our own chapter of Women for Women International and continue to serve as the President for the third year in a row. I am entering my second year as a peer educator for the Sexual Assault and Violence Education Team and am involved in our chapter of Amnesty International as well as the Division of Volunteer Efforts. HTS remains the foundation of my work which includes two Half the Sky screenings, Modern Day Slavery: Sex Trafficking in the US and Abroad, and SHUTrue Feminism tabling. In addition, I was awarded the On the Shoulders We Stand Award and was chosen to attend New Leadership NJ in 2013.

Amanda with Zainab Salbi, founder of Women for Women International.

Through these experiences, I have faced adversity when trying to gather support as both men and women believe that the issues we are discussing are solely pertinent to women. I was thus motivated to create the A Call to Men: A Campaign for Equality with the message that sexism is not just a “woman’s issue,” as both genders are equally discriminated against and are necessary for the achievement of true equality. I applied for a HTS grant in the beginning stages of planning, and the support I received was undeniably beneficial and the campaign was the most successful program we have hosted. A different event was held every week throughout the month of April including a presentation by Ted Bunch from A Call to Men, Toys and Sexism: Is It All Just Fun and Games, a presentation about the definition of manhood by Dr. King Mott, the Clothesline Project, and a closing ceremony. We will continue the campaign in the upcoming year and after giving presentations about the campaign to my high school. Additionally, I have decided to create a program to teach high school students about gender equality for my senior thesis.

Amanda Gagne is currently a Half the Sky Movement Campus Ambassador at Seton Hall University. You can reach her at [email protected] and watch for her name in the news, as we are sure she will make quite the splash!

Jessica Bird

Determined to help her new friend, Jessica invited her to come to California, and was able to raise $29,000 for the safe house after organizing a cocktail fundraiser. But just two weeks after returning to Costa Rica, her friend called her high on drugs, and revealed she was back in prostitution. "I felt like she was my friend and I had failed her... Writing a check for $29,000 doesn't teach these girls the skills they need to avoid prostitution,” Jessica said. "That was the moment I realized money can't fix human trafficking. You have to do things like act for justice and long-term impact."

Last summer, she returned to Costa Rica to build a chicken coop, install a watering system and help out in the garden to instill responsibility and leadership for the girls at the safe house. This summer, she plans to return and help the girls sell goods at the farmer’s market. “Even though they won't make a huge amount of money, the idea of being able to make money besides prostitution is empowering.”

Building the chicken coop in Costa Rica. 

Jessica also worked to educate her friends and Girl Scout troop about sex trafficking, and was able to attend the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2013, where she was part of the first ever all youth tribunal run for and by girls. For her efforts to help the safe house and educate others, she was a national honoree of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, which recognizes youth making a difference in their communities.

But Jessica’s efforts also covered more local territory. After returning from the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York, she met a woman who opened her eyes to the fact that sex trafficking was happening in the United States. "I traveled all the way across the world to find out what was happening in my own back yard," Jessica said.

She took an internship with the Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition, researching and analyzing the trafficking at the America’s Cup sailing races, and presented her findings to one of the event sponsors, Charles Schwab. Jessica is also working to prevent an increase in sex trafficking during the 2016 Super Bowl in nearby Santa Clara, California.

“We're trying to train transportation staff, hotel employees and airport staff to recognize a case of trafficking” and treat prostitutes as victims first. “It's hard for me to believe that anyone has done this willingly,” Jessica says.

Providing more opportunities to women is something that Jessica plans to focus on in the long term. She’s heading to Scripps College in a year, where she plans to study religion, gender studies and international relations. But before then, inspired by articles Nicholas Kristof wrote about gap years, she plans to to live in Southeast Asia and Africa and volunteer in empowerment centers for women.

Connect with Jessica on Twitter (@birdie96). 

Nafi Chinery

Uganda’s anti-gay law criminalizes the aiding, abetting, counselling, or promotion of homosexuality. The strikingly vague language and wide interpretation of these offences by the authorities means that any group that openly discusses sexuality may be targeted and arrested. The result is that any public discussion of HIV/AIDS must skip over crucial risk factors, such as homosexuality and sex work.

This will force organizations like mine, which support women’s rights activities irrespective of sexual orientation, to exclude groups that work with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community. We have already had to cancel a scheduled training session in Kampala for 20 women’s organizations on health and reproductive rights, since we cannot guarantee our safety, or those of our grantees, because we know how discussions on women’s health and reproductive rights requires a discussion of sexuality and minority rights.

What makes this move by the Ugandan government even more surprising is that Uganda has been praised for bringing down its high HIV/AIDS rate by being willing to talk openly about sexual issues. Just 20 years ago and under the same president, there was firm political support for tackling the spread of infection by ensuring people were knowledgeable about human sexuality. This included broad consultations with groups like sex workers to tackle stigma and develop ways of reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS and to provide support services to those affected. But now it seems political priorities have changed, and this door is being shut. The anti-gay movement has been zealously promoted in Uganda by Westerners and internal anti-gay groups over the last six years and some Ugandans believe President Yoweri Museveni has seized on the issue as a vote winner.

The result is a panic that may reverse gains made in reducing HIV/AIDs in Uganda and will only deepen stigmatization of minority groups. Nationwide HIV prevalence fell from 18 percent in the early 1990s to 6.4 percent in 2004. In 2011 it rose to 7.2 percent. Grassroots and non-governmental organizations which were once deeply involved in discussions around sexual behavior are now afraid to engage. Organizations providing access to anti-retroviral drugs and health education to all are closing up because they are being accused of promoting gay activities. When obstacles such as these laws are imposed on those trying to provide health care, they only serve to worsen the marginalization, self-respect, and dignity of LGBTI people and put the risk and well-being of women at risk. Further, women will be driven from involvement in community development.
  
We need to have broader conversations on this anti-gay law and its implications for the spread of HIV/AIDs, women’s health, and the livelihoods of marginalized groups in Africa. What women and minority groups need among other things are security, skills, information and equal access to quality health services, and more importantly, a voice to be able to influence actions likely to threaten their very survival. The anti-gay campaign in Uganda abuses the human rights of all of us.

Nafi Chinery works for the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) and is a 2014 Aspen New Voices Fellow at the Aspen Institute. Connect with her on Twitter (@nafichinery).

Jaha Dukureh

I am often asked, “Out of all the survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM) in America, why did you start a campaign against the practice?”

Every day I live with the fact that something was taken away from me at a very young age. Not understanding what it would have meant or felt like if I had not gone through FGM is something that will forever haunt me.

Every day we hear about human rights issues -- issues that are affecting girls around the world. One issue that fails to get attention in the United States is female genital mutilation. Why? I don’t know. Each year, it is estimated that three million girls and women around the world are at risk of undergoing FGM. Yet we've failed to commission a report about this problem in a nation that is viewed as the leader in the free world for 17 years.

One of the greatest things about being American is the freedoms and liberties that this great country has to offer -- the freedom to be and do anything that you want. But every year, girls are forced to undergo female genital mutilation during their break from school. These girls are told they are being transformed into womanhood. The government has signed laws to make this practice illegal, but laws on paper without implementation mean nothing.

I started a campaign on Change.org asking the Obama administration as well as the Department of Health and Human services to commission a report about the number of girls that are impacted as well as the number of girls that are at risk. FGM does not only happen to girls in faraway places. It happens to girls right here In the United States. With everything that this great country has to offer, there is no reason why you should be born here and still be at risk of such a heinous practice. 

Jaha Dukureh with Rep. Joe Crowley and Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian in New York City May 12.

Most of the girls who have been through FGM in this country are your average American teenagers -- some you know, some you sat in the same classrooms with, some your colleagues and some your neighbors. As humans, put yourself in their shoes and imagine something so unfair, so inhumane happening to you, your daughter or your sister. 

It is the responsibility of all of us to protect our girls and this should be of utmost importance to our elected officials. Girls should not have to be objectified and FGM should not define how pure we are. 

Now that our petition has over 100,000 signatures, the next step is for our government to listen to all the people that took their time and signed our petition. Our demands are not much: what we asking for can be very simple and straight-forward. President Obama: you took an oath to protect the citizens of America no matter how underserved they are and it’s time to protect our girls. Each and every one of our voices matter and we will not give up until our elected officials answer to our call.

Jaha Dukureh moved to the United States from Gambia at age 15. She is now 24 years old and lives in Atlanta. Connect with her on Twitter (@JahaENDFGM).

Why does Boko Haram feel so threatened by these girls, to the point that militants kidnapped them as they were taking their exams? Why did the Taliban feel so threatened by Malala Yousafzai speaking up for her right to an education that it sought to silence her by shooting her? Why have attacks on education become a tool for those who want to intimidate or weaken girls who are just trying to go to school?

Because smart girls can change the status quo. Education and knowledge can overcome rule by ignorance and violence. 

We made this video to show that smart girls are not something to be feared. They must be supported and championed. Check out this page to learn more about how you can support them.

We are not afraid of smart girls.

For more background information, check out Nicholas Kristof’s recent articles and blog posts:
Standing With the Kidnapped Girls in Nigeria
'Bring Back Our Girls'
Honoring the Missing Schoolgirls (Here are some of the great organizations Nick has mentioned that honor and empower women around the world.)
Why the Kidnapped Schoolgirls Matter
What's So Scary About Smart Girls?

Activists are working to pressure the Nigerian government to do more, and you can help. Here’s how:

1. Sign the Change.org petition to show your support for the kidnapped girls and ask all international agencies, organizations and groups to help ensure their safe return.

The Women Thrive Worldwide petition urges the Nigerian National Police to make the protection of schools a top priority.

2. The Malala Fund is dedicated to ensuring access to education for all girls and boys.

3. Organize or attend a rally in your city.

4. Share your #BringBackOurGirls photos on our Facebook page and we’ll pin them on our Pinterest board.

We'll be hosting a Twitter chat Thursday at 1pm ET/10am PT with Heifer International (@Heifer), Kiva (@Kiva) and ONE Campaign (@ONECampaign) to discuss women and agriculture. Learn how empowering women through agriculture is one of the most effective tools for fighting poverty, improving nutrition, and strengthening families and communities, as well as the challenges and successes these organizations have faced. 

You can start asking questions now by using the hashtag #womenagchat. 

Here's more background about the organizations and the issues: 

Nicholas Kristof's column about how a goat provided by Heifer International enabled a girl in Uganda to attend school and college in the United States. 

Women own less than 1 percent of the world's land, grow 60 percent to 80 percent of the food in developing countries. Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari discusses the challenges female farmers face as well as why putting power into the hands of women farmers is essential to feed the global population. 

More than two-thirds of Africans depend on agriculture for income. ONE Campaign's report with the World Bank examines how to improve opportunities for women farmers in Africa, looking at the causes of differences between how much men and women farmers produce in six countries –– Ethiopia, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.

Close to two-thirds of Kiva's agricultural loans benefit female borrowers. Make a $25 loan to a women farmer today! 

During the two-week stretch, the NGO events are mostly panel discussions with amazing women and their organizations around the world talking about a specific issue. Some are documentary screenings and some are the NGO Regional Caucuses discussing what is happening inside in the main CSW events.

The priority theme of this year’s CSW was the challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls, while the the review theme was looked at the access of women and girls to education, training, science and technology. The side events that we attended provided opportunities for Member States, UN entities and NGOs to discuss themes of the Commission and  other critical gender equality issues.

Among the panels we attended, a few really left me astonished and many times, inspired. After all, it is not every day you hear sensitive autobiographical stories from women who have faced various kinds of abuse or discrimination and how they overcame it.

Rajina Shrestha

It was also interesting to compare the statistics between various participating countries and Nepal. Nepal has 8 percent of girls who graduate high school (12th grade). Pakistan has less than 25 percent literate women (here, the speaker noted, literate meant someone who could read and write their name on paper) and less than 15 percent attending high school. Four percent of girls in Nigeria finish secondary school. In terms of violence against women, international statistics show one in three women face violence in her lifetime. In East Congo, it was specifically mentioned that two out of three women face sexual abuse.

What I loved the most about the conference was the presentations of all the things that need to be made right in the world and the way the process worked. Researchers provided an alarming fact about the status of the problem with their statistics and other observations, then people working to address the issues said what measures have been taken, what has worked and what has not. Policymakers and activists work together with government to change what is wrong.

Then there was the introduction of topics I had never thought about, like how women’s rights and even human rights can be specific to religion and culture. Another was how LGBTI as a minority group never gets the same support as women’s rights do and how curriculum development plays a vital role in how we are shaping the future generation. Others included how climate change is also a women’s issue and how there are so many things in the world that are still legal but ethically wrong as well as the reverse -- illegal but morally right.

Finally, there was my favorite panel – what I always preach to my friends and cousins: pink is the new blue and blue is the new pink! We need no one to tell us what color to choose!

Rajina Shrestha is a 2010 Women LEAD participant and former intern. Women LEAD is the first and only leadership development organization for young women, led by young women, in Kathmandu, Nepal. Connect with Women LEAD on Facebook and Twitter.

We’ve already started posting pictures on our account of amazing women such as Urmi Basu and Edna Adan, but we want to see who inspires you. Post a photo (or pictures!) on Instagram, use the hashtag #SheInspires in the accompanying text, and explain why that woman is so remarkable. You can post a picture of your mom, your favorite singer, or your little sister, just make sure to use the #SheInspires hashtag!

We’re going to display these inspiring women on this #SheInspires page. Don’t have an Instagram account? Share your photo on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or Google+, use the #SheInspires hashtag, and tag us. We’ll be resharing some of our favorites.

When infants are born prematurely, many are unable to regulate their own body heat — so room temperature can feel freezing cold. In the developed world, these babies would be placed into an incubator until they’re able to make it on their own. That’s what happened to my own son. It was a difficult experience, but also a common one. And because we had access to health care and modern technology, I watched him quickly grow healthy and strong. But if he or I had been born elsewhere in the world, that wouldn’t necessarily have been the case.

Low birth weight newborn infant at Mulago Hospital in Uganda.

Over 98 percent of newborn deaths occur in developing countries, where access to incubators is not something that can be taken for granted. Anyone who’s a parent, or who has children in their life, can relate to the fact that you will do anything to protect your child. So we hear heartbreaking stories from all over the world: mothers and fathers who wrap their hypothermic infants in blankets with hot water bottles that wind up scalding them, have them sleep near dangerous stoves or fires, or place them under bare light bulbs that can shatter when overheated. Many of these babies die, and those that survive often suffer from chronic and debilitating health issues. 

Any time a child dies, it’s a tragedy. But what’s especially tragic about children dying of causes related to low birth weight, is that by and large these deaths are preventable. It’s been estimated that 75 percent could be easily prevented without access to intensive care. 

So our nonprofit organization, Embrace, set out to develop a simple, scalable solution. Our infant warmer device is portable, reusable, safe, and effective. And most important of all, it costs less than 1 percent of the price of the incubator my son was in. 

A mother at the Mulago Hospital in Uganda holds infant in Embrace warmer.

We donate the infant warmer device to communities in need through partnerships with NGOs, hospitals, and local governments. We’ve reached over 50,000 low birth weight and premature infants so far, and plan to reach 150,000 by the end of 2014. 

Yet we also recognize that technology alone is not enough to solve complex problems like neonatal hypothermia. So we also set up Embrace programs to integrate the warmer with side-by-side education for mothers, families, and health care workers. So far we’ve educated over 5,000 people on hypothermia and related newborn health topics, including hands-on training in Kangaroo Care (skin-to-skin contact).

Embrace site manager at Mulago Hospital in Uganda assists new mother with Kangaroo Care.

To date, we’ve set up 22 Embrace programs in 11 countries on 3 continents. We were recently honored to bring Embrace infant warmers to Edna Adan Hospital in Somaliland, through our partner organization Nurses for Edna.

A mother at the Edna Adan Hospital in Somaliland holds infant in Embrace warmer.

Hawa was one of the first mothers to use Embrace in Somaliland. She had an extremely difficult labor and was unconscious when her son Khalid was born.  Khalid was severely hypothermic and weighed just 2 kg. He was immediately placed in an Embrace warmer, and both mother and son stabilized under the incredible care of the staff at Edna Adan Hospital. As Hawa later told us, “I couldn’t keep my baby close while I was unconscious.  So this warmer replaced me for him and gave him the warmth he needed.”

Khalid in the Embrace warmer. Just 2 kg when born, he's now thriving.

Khalid survived and is now thriving. But millions of other children each year still die preventable deaths related to prematurity and low birth weight. At Embrace, we believe that every woman and child deserves an equal chance for a healthy life. The difference between a child living and dying should not be an accident of their birth. Not when there are options that can easily and inexpensively bridge that gap. This is a problem we can begin solving together.   

Erin O'Donohue is executive director of Embrace, a nonprofit that advances maternal and child health by delivering innovative solutions to the world’s most vulnerable populations. Connect with Embrace on Facebook and Twitter. 

Responsibilities will include researching and implementing campaigns, writing and editing blog posts, outreach emails and social media posts, communicating with NGOs, building relationships with students through Google+ hangouts, phone calls, email, social media, etc., coordinating student events in the U.S. and abroad, and collecting data on measurable outcomes. In addition, the coordinator will likely pitch in on other components of the project, which include a new PBS documentary film series, book, games and videos.

Must have excellent communication skills, an interest in organizing and advocacy particularly relating to international development and women's rights, experience in online publishing and minimum 1-3 years of prior experience. In addition, qualified candidates will have strict attention to detail and accuracy, ability to manage ongoing projects with varying deadlines, excellent computer literacy and basic HTML skills, knowledge of WordPress and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, Storify, Vine) and a bachelor's degree in any field. Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign) and journalism experience a plus.

Please submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample (non-academic preferred) and links to relevant social media accounts (personal and/or professional) to [email protected].

Krishna’s upbringing motivated her to fight for the rights of women and to save young girls from a life of prostitution. While Krishna was still in her mother’s womb, her father was stabbed to death by a robber. Krishna’s mother was a left with a five-year-old son and a daughter on the way. With no one to turn to for help, her mother was forced into prostitution. “If the story of the beginning of my life does not motivate me to fight for the rights of women and saving of young girls –– if this is not my mission in life –– I shall not be worth my salt,” said Krishna.

Students Rebuild award winner Krishna Mondal

Krishna’s mother did not have a home so she would work in other people’s houses and often slept on an open terrace. That same terrace is where New Light is now situated. Krishna often did not have a place to sleep either. Her mother’s customers would touch her and pull on her legs and arms as early as age eight. “I don’t want anyone to face such things anymore. That is why New Light was formed.”

Along with Urmi Basu, Krishna founded New Light, an organization featured in the film Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. New Light has been operating since 2000 and provides a safe shelter, educational opportunities, and recreational facilities for the children of local sex workers, particularly the daughters. When New Light first began, the women looked after ten children and operated from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thirteen years later, the group now looks after 150 kids and is a 24-hour daycare.

Watch Krishna speak about her work with New Light here.

The Students Rebuild Awards featuring Half the Sky Movement recognized and celebrated five young women working to end the oppression of women and girls in their communities. Through a $10,000 prize ($50,000 total), these awards elevated the game changers who often go unrecognized, fighting bravely to improve life conditions for their peers. Learn more at www.studentsrebuild.org.

One organization invested in empowering the next wave of female entrepreneurs in Latin America is Agora Partnerships, a non-profit that aims to scale the growth and success of early-stage businesses with positive social, economic or environmental impact in their home countries. Agora's special initiative, Accelerate Women Now (AWN), raised over $100,000 following its October 2012 launch to sponsor operations costs and scholarships to help female entrepreneurs afford to take part in Agora's Impact Accelerator program. Entrepreneurs hailing from countries including Guatemala, Colombia, Bolivia and Venezuela participate in the six-month program, utilizing Agora's business consulting services, investor matchmaking, and deal closing services to better realize the impact of their businesses.

Members of the Impact Accelerator's Class of 2013

The program has seen remarkable growth, this year sponsoring 27 companies from 13 different countries, representing over $7 million in sales and 475 plus employees. Over 30 percent of the applicant pool consisted of women entrepreneurs. The growing success of the companies run by women graduates of the program is a testament to the importance of integrating women into the business economy.

Jesse Grainger, the Director of Marketing and Communications for Agora Partnerships was inspired by the Half the Sky Movement while taking on the task of designing a multimedia approach to promoting AWN and the work Agora Partnerships is doing in the world of impact investing. Just this year, Agora hosted Impact Investing in Action in Washington, D.C., a three-day conference of panels, workshops and deal rooms to connect Latin American social entrepreneurs with companies and investors looking to disrupt change through partnerships in the business world. The eponymous short film produced for the 2012 Impact Investing in Action conference tells the compelling story of several Impact Accelerator participants.

A passion for social enterprise and women's empowerment is no new phenomenon among the Agora Partnerships team. After reading Half the Sky, Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, Agora's COO Becky Bailey ended up quitting her finance job, going to Wharton Business School, and started working with Agora because the book impacted her so deeply. And it's apparent that the work of Agora's entrepreneurs has had an extensive and lasting impact on many women who have now found employment opportunities.

Women of Kiej de Los Bosques in Guatemala, a venture founded by Agora scholar and entrepreneur Maria Pacheco

On one occasion, Jesse Grainger spoke to Josefina, an artisan weaver who works for Maria Pacheco, one of the most successful graduates of the accelerator and the founder of Kiej de los Bosques. When asked what had changed in her life since finding this employment opportunity, she responded, “My husband isn’t angry anymore.” Before, when Josefina did not have financial independence, she also lacked the power to retaliate or leave her husband, a marker of the economic imbalance in her marriage. "But now that she has money and is making financial decisions around the house, she said that not only is he nice now, but he also does all the cleaning in the house," Jesse said.

"We can tell someone until we're blue in the face, 'This woman is equal to a man,'" says Jesse, "but when that woman is given the opportunity to really prove that she's equal through some type of business or venture, societies begin to change."

To learn more about Accelerate Women Now and the Agora Women's Scholarship Fund, visit the AWN website or connect with Agora Partnerships' Twitter and Facebook page.

Have you been inspired by the Half the Sky Movement? Share your story.

This year marks the second International Day of the Girl to recognize girls’ rights and increase awareness of the inequality faced by girls worldwide. For its second observance, this day will focus on “Innovating for Girls’ Education.” While there has been progress in improving access to education, many girls continue to be deprived of this basic right due to financial, security, institutional and cultural barriers.

As a community, let’s change the lives of girls together and propel girls’ education forward! There are many ways to get involved and make a difference. 

Check out our partners who are doing amazing work to educate girls and support the advancement of girl's and women's rights worldwide -- like Room to Read, which is building libraries and schools, Camfed and Shining Hope, which are providing schooling to girls in Africa, Afghan Institute of Learning and so many more! 

Girls like Lucy are already at a huge disadvantage when it comes to education. Families often give preference to boys if only one child can attend school. Girls often have to do chores and have less time to study. So missing more than a month of school throughout the year only compounds the list of challenges they already face.  If a girl has been unable to keep up with the class work and fails her exams, it could spell the end of her education because her family most likely would not be able to afford to pay for her to repeat a class.

There is only one government school in Mathare and two in Kibera, a vast slum on the opposite side of Nairobi, and because they are subsidized, they are heavily oversubscribed. But they do manage to distribute some free sanitary pads.

However, the informal private schools that take in the bulk of slum children do not benefit from this government project or the occasional visits from volunteers or celebrities who hand out sanitary towels. So Lucy and the other girls make do with everything from pieces of blankets and old clothes to chicken feathers. When she first got her period, Lucy didn’t want to burden her mother because she knew the family couldn’t afford to buy her the pads, so she began tearing off pieces of her foam mattress to use as a substitute. Now her mattress is nearly hollow and very uncomfortable.

Growing up as a Kenyan girl, I also experienced the monthly trials. But I had hoped that with the now widespread availability of sanitary products in shops and frequent radio and TV advertisements about their benefits these Kenyan girls would somehow be better off.

Jane Otai at the Korogocho informal settlement, a slum in Nairobi where Jhpiego provides assistance.

Unfortunately, the poverty that forces a girl’s mother to choose between buying vegetables for the whole family or sanitary pads for her daughter has not gone away. And then there are the men who seduce girls with the offer of pads in exchange for sex; some even tell unknowing girls that having sex is the only way to deal with menstrual pain.

In a country that seeks to become Africa’s Silicon Savannah and build a vast technopolis in the next 15 years, where the cost of a coffee in an upmarket café could purchase a packet of sanitary pads, it should be possible to set up artisanal industries to produce low-cost products or even a fund to help defray the costs of the plastic caps that can be re-used for at least 10 years.

Such an effort could go hand in hand with reproductive health education where girls are taught about expected body changes as they mature, the risks of HIV and the consequences of having unprotected sex as well as many other reproductive health subjects to help them make informed decisions.

I’ve seen firsthand the amazing changes in the life of a girl like Lucy when she has access to sanitary towels and pain relievers. She no longer has to fear cutting her education — and her life — short. She becomes more confident, is able to attend all her classes and participate more meaningfully in school and community activities. And she doesn’t have to pull apart her mattress or pluck a chicken any more.

Jane Otai is a senior program advisor for Jhpiego, a non-profit global health affiliate of Johns Hopkins University. Currently she is working on the Tupange initiative, an urban reproductive health project focused on improving the health of women and families in the urban slums of Kenya. Otai is a 2013 New Voices Fellow at the Aspen Institute.

(Photo by Mike Blyth on Flickr)

Child marriage is often seen as an alternative to poverty. Parents give their daughters in marriage for the bride price -- it could be few cattle, a goat or maybe as little as 30,000 Naira (US $100). The issue of child marriage was brought to the international limelight recently, when Senator Sani Yerima –– who represents the mostly Muslim northwestern region of Nigeria –– proposed abolishing the minimum age for marriage of 18. Yerima, who himself married a 13-year-old Egyptian girl, argued in a recent interview on Al Jazeera English’s The Stream, that a girl is ready to get married once she hits puberty. Prior to the interview, he had proposed child marriage as a solution to child prostitution.

This proposal to abolish the minimum age for marriage is supported by some of Yerima’s Muslim constituents but the majority of Nigerians –– nearly all Christians and some Muslims –– oppose it and argue that religion should not be used as an excuse to perpetrate evil.

As a result of the debate, two stories from northern Nigeria have recently highlighted the health risks of child marriage. Aisha, a nine-year-old girl, was rushed to the hospital and she said that her husband did something “painful from behind.” Halima, a 13-year-old newlywed, almost died during childbirth. In Halima’s rural Hausas tribe, it is a tradition for women to deliver at home and crying during labor is a sign of weakness. On getting to the hospital after three days of painful labour, Halima lost her baby and developed an obstetric fistula due to the prolonged labor, leaving her incontinent. In some cases, the families of these girls cannot afford the surgery to treat a fistula. In addition, Nigeria as a country isn’t medically equipped to treat the large amount of girls affected.

Aisha and Halima’s stories are only unusual in the media attention they received. Growing up, I saw husbands of young brides return girls who developed fistula to their families and later marry another young girl, continuing the vicious cycle.

I am one of the lucky girls who wasn’t given away in marriage at an early age. Although I lived in northern Nigeria for almost a decade, my parents never believed child marriage was an option. Rather, they sent me and my two brothers to school despite the many costs, and gave me the freedom to choose when I wanted to get married.

I was fortunate not to have been married off at an early age. Every girl deserves that opportunity.

A UN report on the gender dimension of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) estimates that 62 percent of women in sub-Saharan Africa are responsible for collecting water. Living among northern Nigerian women, I observed how lack of access to water hurt their economic status, hygiene, and access to sanitation and irrigation. Women often walk two hours daily to collect water, carrying heavy containers on their shoulders and disregarding the effect it has on their health. As a result of the strenuous walks, some pregnant women suffer miscarriages. Most times, the water fetched is unclean, and the children who drink it are especially susceptible to waterborne diseases such as cholera, while others die immediately after drinking acidic water.

Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi 

Women's lack of access to water and land ownership are entwined, making them more susceptible to poverty. While men have access to cars and camels for transporting water to grow crops, women rarely do . Women sometimes must get approval from their husbands or male family members to own land. Without title to land, women are often denied access to technologies and resources –– such as credit extension and seed –– that enable them to expand their businesses. With men’s agricultural activities regarded as the top priority, there may be water provided through irrigation for farming, but no such prioritization for accessible and safe drinking water. Access to water can enhance women’s income generation in agricultural activities, enabling them to reinvest in their families and communities.

Resolving the clean water scarcity is not just a matter for the government. Privatization -- when the government sells the rights to private companies -- has also hindered women’s access to water. Although women place high importance on water, their inability to pay for water constrains them to use dirty rainwater.

Women in the rural areas lack sanitation facilities such as toilets, sewers and wastewater treatment. Sometimes they can’t afford to build these facilities, while other times it’s based on cultural beliefs. In a village where I stayed in southern Nigeria, it’s believed that it’s a waste of space to construct a toilet. Without access to latrines, many women and girls become prisoners of daylight, only daring to relieve themselves in the bush under the cover of darkness. This makes them vulnerable to sexual violence and attacks by animals. Access to sanitation facilities is especially imperative for menstruating women, pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Education is another casualty of the water shortage. Girls miss school because they have to take care of their siblings while their mothers are collecting water, or sometimes they themselves have to collect water. They also leave school during their menstrual period as there are no adequate sanitary facilities in their schools.

Tackling the water shortage faced by women can lead to progress in many other areas, such as sustainable development, poverty eradication, women’s rights, reproductive and maternal health, improved education for girls and a reduction in morbidity and mortality rates.

Let’s think of a new framework for security. When people think of security they think of weapons of mass destruction, war and terrorism. When I think of it, I look at it from the human security perspective. Are you safe from chronic threats such as hunger? Are you able to attend school with your brothers? Are you able to earn a steady income through ownership and cultivation of your own land? Having access to water is not just a human need, it’s a matter of human dignity.

Oluwaseun is an intern for Half the Sky Movement. 

She is currently the chairperson of her community’s agricultural initiative "Poleu Strey,” which in English means “women’s light.” The Heifer International cooperative includes 120 families with $3,000 to use in a revolving credit fund. The cooperative uses this money to fund income generating activities, and she plans use the prize money to expand the products sold at the shop to include fertilizer, seedlings, animal feed and agricultural equipment.

In addition to her work as chairperson of the cooperative, Ley previously provided training for women on financial management, domestic abuse, women’s rights, self-help group management and Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development. Her responsibilities included training 27 self-help groups, including 597 families, and establishing rules on spending and saving. In addition to setting up budgets, she has had to facilitate solutions to domestic violence cases, aided in emergency births, helped prepare families for threatening storms, and assisted widows establish small businesses.

“What I want to see from my work is people in my community live harmoniously with dignity, have food security for the whole year, share their own resources to support lonely elders, liberate victimized women from domestic violence and assist women and children to live in dignity and prosperity,” says Ley.

Read more about Ley and her work with Heifer international here and watch Ley discuss her plans. Check out this spotlight on Linda Kamau, the winner from Kenya. Look at this spotlight on Nimco Cabdillah, the winner from Somaliland. Stay tuned for more stories about our other Students Rebuild Award winners.

The Students Rebuild Awards featuring Half the Sky Movement recognized and celebrated five young women working to end the oppression of women and girls in their communities. Through a $10,000 prize ($50,000 total), these awards elevated the game changers who often go unrecognized, fighting bravely to improve life conditions for their peers. Learn more at www.studentsrebuild.org.

The Women and Children Rights Organization seeks to protect the rights of women and children in the Kailahun District in Eastern Sierra Leone. The organization uses a revolving microfinance program to empower poor women, which Margaret believes reduces their vulnerability to violence. This belief motivated her to push the organization to establish more microfinance programs, which have helped over fifty women to date.

The women and girls of the Kailahun District look up to Magaret as a role model. In addition to economic empowerment, she teaches women about reproductive health, menstrual cycles, family planning and using modern contraceptives. These practices have reduced early marriage, forced marriage, unwanted pregnancy, teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among women and girls in Kailahun.

Margaret goes the extra mile to make sure the microloans get to those who need them most, doing personal follow ups with loan recipients and walking over five miles every day to visit them. (Her organization does not own any motor vehicles.) Many girls are tricked by teachers, family members or community leaders who start paying for a girl’s education or rent, only to leave them after they get them pregnant. Margaret makes sure these girls are given loans and taught about sexual exploitation to prevent it from happening again.

Learn more about Margaret’s involvement in her community here and read about other Students Rebuild Award winners Linda Kamau and Nimco Cabdillah.

The Students Rebuild Awards featuring Half the Sky Movement recognized and celebrated five young women working to end the oppression of women and girls in their communities. Through a $10,000 prize ($50,000 total), these awards elevated the game changers who often go unrecognized, fighting bravely to improve life conditions for their peers. Learn more at www.studentsrebuild.org.

Photos courtesy of Kyle Vaughn

When they weren’t teaching, Breanna and Kyle volunteered at New Light, a community development projectin Kolkata which was featured in the Half the Sky: Turning Opression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide documentary. New Light offers shelter, educational opportunities and healthcare to survivors of trafficking and children rescued from red-light areas. During their visits to New Light, Breanna and Kyle were awed by the beauty, intelligence, and hope that the children of New Light possessed. 

Photos Courtesy of Kyle Vaughn

Inspired, they approached New Light founder Urmi Basu about a book idea: they wanted to introduce the world to the children of New Light by collecting their stories and portaits, and sharing their artwork and writing. Urmi gave her blessing, and the two set to work. The resulting book, A New Light in Kalighat, gives a personal glimpse into the beauty of New Light and the children who reside there.

In an effort to inpsire others and to share Urmi’s amazing work, they have made the e-book available for free online; view it here.

To stay updated on the book and ways to support this project, visit Kyle's blog.

Learn more about Urmi Basu and New Light.

Trained at the the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital, Nimco chose to be a nurse to help women and children. Only two weeks after her graduation, she left Hargeisa for the first time to work in Baligubadle –– which is made up of 33 small villages and towns with a population of 20,000 people, with only one health center and one visiting doctor. The first qualified nurse and midwife in Baligubadle, Nimco says she chose to work in Baligubadle because “that is where I am needed.”

Nimco faces many challenges, including a lack of light at night that forces her to help deliver children next to kerosene lamps, creating a health hazard. Before she started working there, the only medical assistance for pregnant women were birth attendants who did not have any medical training. Now, she and another  other midwife trained by Edna Adan assist in over 20 births per month.

Nimco plans on using the money from the Students Rebuild Award to expand the delivery room to prevent overcrowding. She also plans to update the equipment in the health center by purchasing delivery kits, a microscope and an oxygen concentrator for premature babies.

Read about Edna's vist to Nimco's hospital and watch Nimco discuss her plans. Also, check out this spotlight on Linda Kamau, the winner from Kenya, and stay tuned for more stories about our other Students Rebuild Award winners. 

The Students Rebuild Awards featuring Half the Sky Movement recognized and celebrated five young women working to end the oppression of women and girls in their communities. Through a $10,000 prize ($50,000 total), these awards elevated the game changers who often go unrecognized, fighting bravely to improve life conditions for their peers. Learn more at www.studentsrebuild.org.

I am a former English teacher and volunteer humanitarian clown with the Patch Adams organization, which is where I met my husband, Marco. Together, we have travelled the world with the Patch Adams group, offering love, laughter and hope to the poor, the sick and the oppressed.  But from a very young age, the plight of women and girls struck a cord deep within me and I knew there was something more I wanted to do, I just didn’t know what… until a good friend of mine put Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide in my hands.

I read the book in chunks, having to put it down from time to time, unable to digest the atrocities faced by these women… these GIRLS. I trekked through the pages, horrified and inspired at the same time.  All the while, Marco comforted me as my tears soaked the pages and my dreams filled with the faces of these ‘faceless’ women and girls.  Then it was Marco’s turn to read and it was me who comforted him when his disbelief turned to shock.  We celebrated every triumphant story together, toasting to women like Urmi Basu at dinnertime. 

About a year after reading the book, I looked at Marco and said: “I'm going to India and Nepal.” And he said, “Yes, I know.” We both realized this book was more than an inspiration …this was my CALLING. I realized that there was only one thing I could do to face this problem: UNDERSTAND it. The terrors of sexual slavery and human trafficking especially called out to me, and so we planned our own ‘field trip’ to India and Nepal, armed only with the book, my passion, and each other.

 We contacted Urmi Basu at New Light, explaining that we wanted to come and meet these girls, that we wanted to learn, and that we wanted them to know that somebody cared. I found it hard to fathom what we could accomplish there, but what I did know was that we at least had to GO.

It was then that ‘destiny’ started playing some pretty amazing tricks on us. Strangely, at the same time that we were planning our field trip, we heard that some of our Patch Adams colleagues were organizing a clown tour in Nepal and that they were planning to visit different homes for women and girls, including a 7-day Himalayan trek to a village in the Langtang region, a high-risk zone for sex trafficking.  And so, of course, I looked at Marco and told him to get our clown noses out.

We packed two backpacks and left on February 14, 2013.

Our first stop was Kolkata, India, where we volunteered for three weeks with the children of New Light. Urmi Basu and her team welcomed us with open arms and an open door.  We spent time with the children every afternoon, visited their Dalit centre and danced with the girls at Soma Home. It was magical.

Marissa in Kolkata, India. (Photo courtesy Marissa Kokkoros.)

We next headed to Kathmandu, Nepal, where we had a week to ourselves before the clowning started. By chance, we ended up at Maiti Nepal, which helps survivors of trafficking, on Visitor’s Day and I ended up teaching English lessons to the same girls I had been dreaming about not even a year before.

After Maiti Nepal, we met up with the clowns and started our Himalayan clown tour. 

Marissa and members of the Patch Adams Clown Troupe clown around with children in the Himalayas.  (Photo courtesy Italo Bertolasi -- Clown One Italia Onlus.)

We spent seven days in a village with no electricity and no hot water, going from house to house, clowning in a local school, and getting to know some of the most inspiring women I have ever met. I met women who were tilling soil in extreme conditions with babies strapped to their backs.  I met pregnant women with no maternal care, and little help. I spent my days with them, in their homes, in their fields, playing with their children.

Marissa works with children in the Himalayas.  (Photos courtesy Italo Bertolasi -- Clown One Italia Onlus.)

When it was time to return home I knew that my life could never be the same. I had found my calling. I had to continue to help these women and girls.

This was the beginning of my life, and the best part was my husband was behind me 100 percent. I came back home to Canada where I created Aura Freedom International, a Canadian nonprofit. I have started projects with New Light and Apeiron. But the best news is that Anuradha Koirala and Maiti Nepal will be coming to Toronto on September 29, 2013 as our guests for a fundraiser.

So here we are, only two years after reading Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, back in Canada and organizing an event for Maiti Nepal! It has already been the journey of a lifetime, and it is only beginning.

Check out Aura Freedom to learn more about their work with Maiti Nepal and New Light, donate to their fundraiser, and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

How has Half the Sky Movement inspired you? Share your story.
         

As lead developer at Ushahidi, a non-profit tech company, Linda formed AkiraChix, a technical training program for young women from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas of Nairobi. The program offers courses in computer literacy, mobile and web application computer programming, computer hardware, graphic design and entrepreneurship.

Linda started teaching a new class of girls this July. The award money is paying for licensing for software used in the program, rental space and and the salaries of trainers. Many of these trainers belong to iHub, a community of tech and innovation in Nairobi, and all of them have real-world experience running their own businesses. The benefits of AkiraChix are already spreading to the larger community –– as Linda notes, the girls who have finished the program have gone on to transfer their knowledge to students at nearby schools.

Watch Linda describe her plans for AkiraChix. 

Stay tuned for more about our other four winners!

The Students Rebuild Awards featuring Half the Sky Movement recognized and celebrated five young women working to end the oppression of women and girls in their communities. Through a $10,000 prize ($50,000 total), these awards elevated the game changers who often go unrecognized, fighting bravely to improve life conditions for their peers. Learn more at www.studentsrebuild.org.

The six women who form the heart, soul, and muscle of 7Sisters Global, pictured here from left to right are Pamela Probst, Tammy Atchison, Paula Fox, Melinda Cudney Howard, Erin Swyers and Tina Benner. One of their earliest projects was a gardening initiative, started in 2010, in which they donate freshly grown produce to women who assemble birthing kits for expecting mothers in Kenya. Their activities have since grown into cross-cultural and cross-national ties linking groups of women in the United States and Mexico.

Working on building the domestic violence shelter in November of 2011

One of the main focuses of 7Sisters Global has been domestic abuse and violence in the lives of women in Mexico, a subject and area that is often overlooked in American discourse because of tension over prevalent immigration issues. 7Sisters Global has developed a close relationship with a domestic abuse shelter for women in Puerto Vallarta, having traveled there to construct the foundation and walls of the new shelter. The group now makes yearly trips to Mexico, bringing with them donations of medical items through Project Cure and the St. Andrew UMC church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. On the plane ride home, their suitcases are often full of artisan-made goods to be sold in fair trade markets.

7Sister Global’s booth at the Fair Trade Market

Since 2011, 7Sisters Global has partnered with three women’s co-ops in Puerto Vallarta, Chiapas, and Nogales, providing these women with additional economic empowerment by bringing their beautiful handmade goods to market. While the annual income of these women is around $200, the women of 7Sisters Global can make an impact on this number by purchasing large quantities of hand-crafted sandals, tote bags, copper jewelry and traditional Mayan textiles to sell at churches and other socially conscious venues around Denver, sending all of the revenue from sales directly back to the women artisans.

One of the artisans from Arroyo de Esparanza, a co-op in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

It’s amazing to hear how busy 7Sisters Global is! When these women aren’t volunteering with the Denver-based program FamilyPromise, which provides food and shelter for homeless families, they’re fundraising for Hope House in Denver, which helps 150 teen mothers and their children through GED programs and vocational training, or serving meals at St. Paul UMC’s soup kitchen in downtown Denver. They’ve even held self-defense classes for women and have donated formula to mothers living in the Northern Plains reservation.

Continuing construction work on the shelter in November 2012

These women show us that creativity and a boundless spirit to help can accomplish great things on the path to empowerment, safety and economic success for women and girls. Whether it’s through communicating a woman’s struggle against domestic violence or lending a helping hand during tough situations, the women of 7Sisters Global are proof that being a force for good in the community can take a number of forms, each paving the way for a new generation of sisters and empowered girls. As member Melinda Cudney Howard put it, "We are dedicated to making this world a better place for not only our daughters, but for daughters everywhere."

To learn more about 7Sisters Global and their past projects, visit their website and connect on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Have you been inspired by the Half the Sky Movement? Share your story.

The Tostan program has impacts across five key areas essential for community-led development: Education, Health, Governance, Economic Growth, and the Environment.   As community members, especially women and girls, participate in our program they:

·       build a foundation for all other learning as they learn about their human rights and responsibilities

·       gain literacy and numeracy skills

·       learn factual information on health and hygiene including harmful practices, the importance of pre and post natal consultations, and vaccinations

·       are empowered to apply their knowledge to promote education, good public health practices, and a clean environment

·       gain the confidence to voice their opinions and participate in decision-making processes within their family and community

·       develop leadership and project management skills that allow them to emerge as leaders and entrepreneurs 

·       work with their community and social network to promote equality and develop new social norms that respect the human rights and dignity of all people.

As women and girls, and their communities, develop their skills, education, and find their voices, they can take charge of their own development and leave a lasting impact.

Twenty women who have just completed the Tostan program in Labé, a city in the Fouta Djallon region in Guinea, are just one example. Looking back over the past three years, many said that learning to read was their biggest achievement, while others said it was their participation in decision-making processes in their community. They were also very proud of the success of their income-generating activities making soap, cultivating potatoes, and processing ginger for sale – all skills that they learned through the program.

Although their program class sessions have now ended, these women are showing no signs of slowing down. Though the effect may be small at first, these women are contributing to a major shift in the roles that women and girls will play in their community for generations to come. In their words, “We want to continue in the direction we are headed!”

Learn more about Tostan’s work to empower women and girls and our new Generational Change in Three Years campaign on our website: www.tostan.org.  

Courtney Petersen is a communications officer for Tostan.

In an email, Kerry, who serves as president, wrote: “MOM represents the bond in motherhood that transcends race, religion, oceans and continents. We as mothers need to teach our children and the world that women hold up half the sky. It is unacceptable for women to be raped, abused or die during childbirth. Educating women is the first line of defense.”

By prioritizing equality and justice through education and healthcare for women and children in developing countries, MOM has supported projects in communities in Ethiopia, Honduras, and now primarily in Uganda.

The MOM-sponsored charity: water well in Gebezia, Ethiopia.

Although MOM owes its successfully completed projects to numerous community supporters, at its core, it is comprised of 17 women from various backgrounds –– including teachers, nurses, lawyers, accountants, and stay-at-home moms. Their pool of talent has helped them raise $5,000 to build a well in Ethiopia with Charity: Water not once, but twice. As they await information about the location of the second well, a team of volunteers has just returned from Lira, Uganda, where they visited the maternity ward built with MOM’s support.

The newly constructed Alanyi Maternity Ward.

Through fundraising and reaching out to local schools, neighbors and sports teams in their district, MOM has championed awareness of women and girls’ health and education. From donating water bottles to local campers on the Jersey Shore and then teaching them to use it as a bank to collect donations to holding T-shirt drives and forging a connection between students in Cranford’s schools and the residents of the Our Lady of Peace Children’s Ark Orphanage in Wobulenzi, central Uganda, for these mothers on a mission, no donation is too small.

Young students wearing T-shirts from the Westfield High School lacrosse team.

Through their second fundraiser dinner and silent auction event in November 2012, which garnered a crowd of over 200 people, MOM raised over $40,000. Working with the NJ-based Mission of Mercy Uganda (MoMU), MOM donated close to half of these funds to the over forty residents of the Children’s Ark Orphanage, providing food, clothing, school supplies and school uniforms. Another large portion went towards building an operating theater and increasing capacity and functionality of the Alanyi Health Center and Maternity Ward in Lira. Women who would have previously been asked to leave the hospital days after giving birth and bike 20 miles home for lack of beds are now able to remain at the hospital and be monitored along with their babies.

From left: Sr. Faida, Kerry Mooney Ali Costalos, Ann Marie O’Donnell, Kim Fowler and Sr. Carole of "Mission of Mercy Uganda".  Sr. Carole is from Spring Lake New Jersey. Every July she leads a trip to Uganda. Sr. Faida is her Ugandan friend, and the only mid-wife at Alanyi.

MOM plans to continue holding large and small fundraisers in their community to garner support for their friends in Uganda. The women and supporters of MOM value their long-term relationships with the Children’s Ark Orphanage and the Alanyi Health Center and Maternity Ward and all of the individuals who helped them forge lasting connections with the people they are determined to help, abroad and at home.

MOM members front row from left: Ann Marie Sullivan, Laura Cioffi, Kim Fowler, Mary Giglio, Rachel Manzo. Back row from left: Sarah Langhart, Alison Reynders, Jen Forno, Jenny Melvin, Nancy Csorba, Kerry Mooney, Lesley Ann Ferris, Ali Costalos and Maureen Holland.

Have you been inspired by the Half the Sky Movement? Share your story.

They hoped to silence her, but instead she survived and delivered this powerful speech at the United Nations today on the need for universal education. In her own words:

Dear friends, on the 9th of October 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends too. They thought that the bullets would silence us. But they failed. And then, out of that silence came thousands of voices. The terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions but nothing changed in my life except this: Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born. I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. My dreams are the same.... Education is the only solution. Education first.

Here are ways that you can amplify Malala’s voice and help her reach her goal of universal education for every girl and boy. Read her speech, sign her petition, donate to the Malala Fund, sign Girl Up’s birthday card and stand with her on social media by using the #MalalaDay hashtag.

Happy birthday, Malala. You’ve proven that no matter what your age, women and girls truly hold up half the sky.

In response to the film screenings, donations to the Umoja Women's Foundation have totaled over $13,000, coming from people all over the world, including matching gift donations from Microsoft.

Samburu women conducting business

How has this made a difference to the Samburu women and families who were shown to be struggling for survival in this marginalized area of Kenya?

Currently, the foundation operates in a direct partnership with the women of Umoja and their sister villages, acting as the steward of the funds collected. The income from both sales and donations goes directly to the women. Each month the Umoja Women’s Foundation disburses approximately $2,500 for the following projects:

1. Supply fresh water to the newly built water tank
2. Purchase food and fire wood for preschool lunches
3. Provide salaries for 2 preschool teachers
4. Cover health care visits to the local clinic
5. Provide a monthly stipend to each woman for the care of her family

With the additional funds from donations, we are able to continue and expand our ongoing projects, including scholarships for secondary and primary school students and one scholarship for a professional management student through 2013.

Our concern for the sustainability within the Umoja community is serious. This latest surge in sales and donations will not provide the support these women need beyond 2013. However, because of the amount of donations received this year, our foundation has partnered with the BOMA project by giving them a grant to train the women of Umoja and several other neighboring villages to become self-sufficient through a highly effective business enterprise program.

The women in this program have confidence in their own future and know that their income will not depend on the whim of an individual or the weather or the changing tourist trade. We are already seeing results within the new village of Unity where the women are selling goat skins. For the first time, several women in Umoja have deposited their monthly stipends into bank accounts and are using their cell phones to purchase food. They have money and it is secure. They are becoming part of the local economy. There is a long way to go but these are very exciting changes. The women featured in the film are enjoying an unprecedented measure of health and security. We give massive thanks to our supporters! We are also grateful to Rebecca Lolosoli, whose compelling story has brought many opportunities for our foundation and for Umoja.

Jane Wilner is director of the Umoja Women's Foundation.

Then a friend suggested I read Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide. I pored through the book and within a few days, I felt like my questions had been answered. Reading about the stories of Urmi Basu and Edna Adan showed me that anyone can be an "agent of change." We can make a difference in one person's life or in a whole community. We can address an issue, raise awareness, or even provide a solution. These powerful stories of women from across the globe shed light on my own life and I began to ask myself, "How can I be an agent of change?"

One issue in Half the Sky that resonated with me was the inadequacy in maternal health and maternal mortality rates internationally. What Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn pointed out was unbelievable: While child mortality rates have plunged and longevity increased, maternal mortality rates in 2005 have barely budged with one maternal death every minute. Lifetime risk of maternal mortality in poor countries like Sierra Leone and India is one thousand times greater than countries in the West!

Working in a hospital that treats all patients despite their ability to pay made it very difficult to stomach the struggle that pregnant women face when accessing health services in poor countries. Determined to get involved, I reached out to One Nurse At A Time, a non-profit that encourages and empowers nurses to volunteer abroad. They connected me with five other women who have the same craving to use our skills as nurses to give back to patients in need and raise awareness about health disparities.

Under the umbrella of One Nurse At A Time, us five nurses joined forces and used our inspiration from Half the Sky to form Nurses for Edna. Together, our group will travel to Edna Adan's Maternity Hospital in Hargeisa to team up with Edna and her local staff to serve the women of Somaliland. Edna has stated that teaching is the greatest need, so Nurses for Edna will share nursing knowledge, theory and skills with the local staff and nursing students. We have been asked during our first trip to provide a course in Basic First Aid and General Physical Assessment to the nursing school. We will also supervise student nurses working on the hospital floors.

Our vision for Nurses for Edna is to create a pathway for other nurses to get involved and become "agents of change." We aim to raise awareness of Edna Adan's hospital and the life-saving work her hospital provides. The time is ripe for a new liberation movement to empower women worldwide. Inspired by Half the Sky's agenda, Nurses for Edna is joining the movement and hopes to prove that we can make a different whether big or small.

Please follow us on this journey as Nurses for Edna travels to Somaliland! We encourage you to get involved. For more information on how you can help, please see our Nurses for Edna page.

Sarah David is a co-founder of Nurses for Edna