“Girls who receive an education are more empowered, better prepared to protect themselves against violence, abuse, exploitation, trafficking and less vulnerable to disease” –United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative
‘Half the Sky’ by Kristoff and Wu Dunn and is an excellent book about empowering girls and women throughout the world. In this clip, ‘Half the Sky’ the movement, highlights the issue of trafficking girls, an issue that is becoming more of a problem in the Pacific Islands as globalisation makes travel and trade more accessible.
I remember hearing about girls, sisters, who went missing from northern Fiji some years ago. Information trickled through that they had been sold and taken to Asia. I felt sick hearing this. Many organisations like Somaly Mam are at the forefront of this issue, more are also springing up like Homes of Hope in Fiji and doing an incredible job.
What I love about what we are doing together on this journey is that we are empowering girls and their families to be less vulnerable. The hand up at the top of the cliff rather than the ambulance at the bottom.
‘Half the Sky’ talks about a girl who escaped her captors because she could read and found her way to the train station by reading the signs.
Globalisation also makes us less able to ignore each other’s humanity and live like these issues don’t exist.
Join us as we continue to provide a hand up to girls in the Pacific.
“We help mend their wings, they do the flying”
Warmly,
Jane