Today I want to share with you a very inspirational and enlightening TED talk by Sheryl WuDunn.
If you do not know about TED talks, you are missing out : ) it is ‘a nonprofit dedicated to Ideas Worth Spreading’ and includes presentations by inspirational personalities from Science, Entertainment, Design etc. I urge you to go on the website and browse their large and enlightening video archive.
With her husband Nick Kristof, WuDunn wrote a book entitled ‘Half the Sky’, in which they make the case for empowering women as a means of development chronicling women’s stories of horror and, especially, hope…
In her TED presentation WuDunn talks about what she calls the 21st century’s central moral challenge, namely the oppression of women and girls throughout the world and explains how education and access to economic opportunity for girls and women promote poverty reduction.
When you educate a girl she tends to get married later on in life, she tends to have children later on in life, she tends to have significantly fewer children (also fewer than educated boys) and those she does have she tends to educate in a more enlightened fashion. With economic opportunity for women it can be transformative for the whole community, especially as research shows that agency in household spending for women increases investment in education, nutrition and business.
The two main challenges at the top of the agenda according to WuDunn are 1) sex trafficking, which is estimated concerns 800 thousand individuals and 2) maternal health, which still poses a great threat to women’s health in many countries.
The reason I love this presentation, as well as other TED talks, is that while it informs us about some of the worst systems of abuse, it also brings a message of hope. There are things being done, and a lot more can be done. She closes with a beautiful statement that unites women and men:
‘A movement of men and women is needed to bring about social change to address this great moral challenge’
I hope you have time to enjoy her talk and others on the TED website!
Chiara
Chiara, merci infiniment pour ce post, cette femme a vraiment le charisme et la beauté pour véhiculer des messages essentiels à l’humanité. Magnifique apport à TdF. Love, Sonia.
Bravo pour ce combat bénéfique aux femmes. Sheryl est une boussole dans notre monde qui tend à se déshumaniser.
Merci Chiara de nous l’avoir fait connaître. Jeanne
You must be a genious. I love your posts, will come back later.
Great article and blog and we want more!
Looking forward to reading more. Great blog.Thanks Again. Keep writing.
Thank you everyone! I’ll find some more Ted talks to share!