Cyber-Assignment
Post summaries of the Introduction to Half the Sky here.
Post summaries of the Introduction to Half the Sky here.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 9:02 AM
Thursday, February 03, 2011
About Me
- Name: Professor Wanda's Posse
- Location: College of Alameda, Alameda, CA, United States
I have a Master's Degree from the University of San Francisco in Writing, and an undergraduate degree from Holy Names College in Humanistic Studies. I write a weekly column for a local newspaper, San Francisco Bay View. I also have an Internet Radio Show: Wanda's Picks http://wwww.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks
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44 Comments:
Tony San Nicolas
Professor Sabir
English 1 A
3 February 2011
An Introduction to Modern Day Slavery
The introduction to Half the Sky was as intense as one might expect, but may have also taken some people by surprised if they were not prepared for what lay ahead of them. Fortunately (or in this case, unfortunately) for me, this was not my first time reading about modern day slavery, so I was not as shocked to read the story of people like Srey Rath; who tells her redemptive story of her experience with the sex trade industry in Thailand. Her tale was as heart breaking as it was heart warming. She, like many in her native home of Cambodia were tricked by loan sharks and criminals into selling their daughters to pay off debt. This is a never-ending cycle of trickery employed by dishonest people taking advantage of the economic system and its impoverished victims.
Srey Rath was sold to a group that was supposed to bring her to Thailand to work at a restaurant, but instead she was sold to pimps at Kuala Lampur. She was drugged and beaten until she complied with her “owners” demands to have sex with strangers. Her and other girls from around Asia were told that they must pay off their parent’s debt by prostituting themselves, though the girls were never paid for their work, they were forced into this prostitution by their pimps; and they used narcotics as a way to control their “employees”. It was a long and devastating period of time before Rath and some of her friends were able to escape the brothel. They escaped on the roof of the building; ironically they fled to the police station where they were arrested for illegal immigration. Under Malaysia’s strict immigration laws she served one year in prison. When her time in prison was up, she thought that she was going to be escorted home, but alas, she was sold to yet another trafficker who brought her to a brothel in Thailand.
Fortunately for Rath, her new owners did not beat her, nor did they guard her constantly and after two months, she was able to escape and make her way back to her home land of Cambodia. She was able to get into contact with a social worker in Cambodia and she received a microloan to open her own small business. She eventually married and had a child, she now peddles her wares at the Thai and Cambodian border. Her story is sadly a unique one, the authors spoke of statistics that were nothing short of unbelievably startling. There is an estimated 2 million women around the world that have simply vanished. Rath’s story is among the rare cases where these women are able not only escape but to live fruitful and semi-normal lives. This introduction was eye opening, even for someone that is not ignorant to human trafficking.
Thailea Boykin
Professor Sabir
Eng. 1A 9-9:50am
2 Febuary 2011
Half The Sky: Introduction Summary
This was a bit much for me to comprehend as an introduction to a book. Yet, I had to think about the fact that gender inequality and female trafficking is something that happens each and everyday. Tears were invoked when reading Rath’s testimony, my first thought was the movie titled “Taken” which pretty has much the same plot. Kristof and Wudunn defiantly do a great job at introducing the main issues of this book: gender inequality, “gendercide,” and sex trafficking. They also provided the readers with solutions to this world wide problem: education of women and microfinancing if efforts to build up women owned small businesses.
From Rath’s heart wrenching story of being sold into prostitution, then sentenced to a year in jail, again to be sold back into prostitution, this gave me a new appreciation for being the young lady that I am today. I can defiantly tell that this book is going to be a lesson well learned. I also came to think about the fact that we as U.S citizens and we as people in general, have our priorities totally mixed up. Instead of shining light on situations like 100 million girl just disappearing from the earth in a years span, yet we would rather churn out news about miscellaneous and idiotic things that have little or no true meaning. My real question is “Why allow this to happen? Why not put a stop to this in some way?” Just form reading the introduction of this book, I already feel that every high school student in American should be required to read this. In making this a requirement, I believe it will shed light on what is truly happening in what we see as the other side of the world, our neighboring countries.
Tony San Nicolas
Professor Sabir
English 1 A
3 February 2011
An Introduction to Modern Day Slavery
The introduction to Half the Sky was as intense as one might expect, but may have also taken some people by surprised if they were not prepared for what lay ahead of them. Fortunately (or in this case, unfortunately) for me, this was not my first time reading about modern day slavery, so I was not as shocked to read the story of people like Srey Rath; who tells her redemptive story of her experience with the sex trade industry in Thailand. Her tale was as heart breaking as it was heart warming. She, like many in her native home of Cambodia were tricked by loan sharks and criminals into selling their daughters to pay off debt. This is a never-ending cycle of trickery employed by dishonest people taking advantage of the economic system and its impoverished victims.
Srey Rath was sold to a group that was supposed to bring her to Thailand to work at a restaurant, but instead she was sold to pimps at Kuala Lampur. She was drugged and beaten until she complied with her “owners” demands to have sex with strangers. Her and other girls from around Asia were told that they must pay off their parent’s debt by prostituting themselves, though the girls were never paid for their work, they were forced into this prostitution by their pimps; and they used narcotics as a way to control their “employees”. It was a long and devastating period of time before Rath and some of her friends were able to escape the brothel. They escaped on the roof of the building; ironically they fled to the police station where they were arrested for illegal immigration. Under Malaysia’s strict immigration laws she served one year in prison. When her time in prison was up, she thought that she was going to be escorted home, but alas, she was sold to yet another trafficker who brought her to a brothel in Thailand.
Fortunately for Rath, her new owners did not beat her, nor did they guard her constantly and after two months, she was able to escape and make her way back to her home land of Cambodia. She was able to get into contact with a social worker in Cambodia and she received a microloan to open her own small business. She eventually married and had a child, she now peddles her wares at the Thai and Cambodian border. Her story is sadly a unique one, the authors spoke of statistics that were nothing short of unbelievably startling. There is an estimated 2 million women around the world that have simply vanished. Rath’s story is among the rare cases where these women are able not only escape but to live fruitful and semi-normal lives. This introduction was eye opening, even for someone that is not ignorant to human trafficking.
Eleanore Johnston
Professor Sabir
03 February, 2011
Half the Sky Introduction Summary
Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn started with an introduction bringing up many issues regarding treatment of woman around the world. It began with the story of Rath a beautiful Cambodian girl with a horrific story.
When Rath was 15 she decided to go, with a few friends, to work as a dishwasher in Thailand, to help her family with money. They quickly discovered that they were tricked into working in a brothel in Kaula Lampur, the capital of Malaysia. She was repeatedly beaten and raped until she escaped one day, just to find herself in the same position in a different brothel.
Once she finally escaped from the second brothel she managed to get herself back home to Cambodia where she met a social worker who lined her up with a job bartering in Poipet.
The introduction then goes on to talk about the misfortune of baby girls in China where they have a ban on determining the sex of a fetus through an ultrasound. Unfortunately, this only seems to cause more female infant mortality. Since in China it is unlucky to birth a girl they pay more attention to their male children who can carry on the family name.
As if that was not enough bad new the authors then proceed to speak of the “Bride Burnings” in India. This is were a woman is burned to death for an inadequate dowry or so a man can remarry. Similarly in Pakistan 5,000 women and children have been engulfed in flames or burned with acid for being “Perceived disobedience”.
Finally, the introduction comes to a close with the important topic of finances. The authors speak of the overwhelming evidence that female education is a wise investment and the solution to most debt in developing countries.
Sherri Short
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A (9-9:50)
2 February 2011
Summary of 'The GirlEffect'
The introduction outlines the story of Rath, a teen girl from Cambodia, who is tricked and forced into prostitution and sexual slavery. It briefly details her experience and her exodus from the ordeal, including corrupt government officials. The authors were journalists who feel
compelled to focus on the oppression of women and girls to try to make a change. They hope to make this happen through changing people's general outlook, change in laws, microloans and the
education of females. The pair also hope to enlist the readers to campaign against these abuses
and help to make governments recognize, acknowledge and end the oppression.
Ashante Washington
Prof. Wanda Sabir
English 1A, 9-950a
3 February 2011
“The Girl Effect”
A Summary of the Introduction
“The Girl Effect”, the introduction to Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity Worldwide, by Nicholas D. Kristoff and Sheryl Wudunn focuses on the gender inequalities that women suffer from worldwide. The issues that the married authors emphasize on are “sex trafficking and forced prostitution; gender based violence, including honor killings and mass rape; and maternal mortality” (p.xxi). One of the authors, Sheryl WuDunn, found in her research that she too was affected by such oppression upon discovering that her grandfather abandoned his first family due to his first wife only giving birth to females. The regional areas covered that seem to be the most affected, mentioned by the authors, included but were not limited to: India, East Asia, the Middle East, and China. By traveling around the world, the two were able to highlight young women’s stories, use them as an example, and include their stories in the novel. Srey Rath was one of the young women included in the introduction and was a victim of sex-trafficking and forced prostitution. Luckily, she escaped and encountered a social worker that helped her find a group that eventually helped Rath gain her own business. It is success stories like those of Srey Rath’s that Nicholas D. Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn are trying to promote and increase. They believe that the empowerment of women can be supported through education, employment, and health care. There are several organizations and groups that contribute to these particular issues and dedicate themselves primarily to such, but this novel is a story of changing women’s lives in hope that the reader too will open their minds and hearts to do the same.
Morgan Laporte-Hilliard
English 1A 9:00-9:50am
2/02/11
Half the Sky Intro Summary
The introduction of Half the Sky Gives one the outline of what the story is going to be about. The intro gives one some background on the Authors Dr. Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn. The authors are two journalists whom are raising awareness of the injustices women suffer all around the world. The intro starts out with a story about a Cambodian girl who was tricked into the hands of sex traffickers and how she escaped and started a new life. The point of this story was to make the reader aware of the horrible crimes women suffer and how despite the injustice they still manage to survive and sometimes better there situation if give the chance. From this intro one also learns that in places where all over the world women are dying solely because of their gender. For instance in China, India, and Afghanistan if a boy is sick or injured he is given medicine or taken to the hospital. This cannot be said for the women in these countries especially if the happen to get sick at the same time a boy or man does. But this mistreatment of women is not beneficial to anyone, in fact when a country actually puts value in the education and care of women its economy does well and is stable, so it is in the interest of these third world countries and modern countries to protect and educate their women. The Goal of this intro was show the reader some of the horrble things that happen to women and to urge the reader to take a part in ending these injustices.
Sherri Short
Professor Sabir
English 1A
3 February 2011
I copied and pasted my summary above and it changed the format when posted. Please excuse the unnecessary spacings!
Morgan Laporte-Hilliard
English 1A 9:00-9:50
2/2/11
Literal Paraphrase
Sentence 1: More frequently the most prominent intellectuals of progression and Community health comprising of Sen and Summers, Joseph Sttiglitz, Jeffrey Sachs and Dr. Paul Farmer are shouting for considerable thought to women in development.
Sentence 2: Behind the scenes support organization and associations have switched gears also.
Ronald Parker
Professor Wanda
English 1A
2/3/2011
In the novel Half in the Sky it speaks of the struggles and all the poverty in cities consisting of India, Cambodia, China and many more. This book follows the life of a young girl by the name of Rath. No longer wanting to be in the struggles Rath wanted to provide enough money to have a better life for her and her family. Being that those countries are the biggest on sex trafficking Rath was kidnapped, along with two other girls by a man named “The Boss” and was taken to a brothel. A brotherl is basically a place where girls were sold, raped, and beaten on a daily. Somehow managing to escape she and the other girls attempted to seek help from a police station. Not knowing The Boss had cops on his payroll they were recaptured and taken to another brothel where they received the same treatment. Rath did end up having a way to earn money fpr her and her family and finally had a family of her own.
In certain countries like this many deaths occur due to lack of medicare and all boys are considered worth more then girls in all families. Dads say boys are a treasure to the family while girls and wives are only replaceable things. Due to discrimination and drug and sex trafficking millions of girls disappear each year. Certain groups that try to help are the self employed women’s association, discovered in 1992
Mary Watson
English 1A
9-9:50am
Introduction to "Half the Sky" sumamry:
I thought this introduction was a very good piece of writing. Like when you pointed out that one word with two meanings could be used either way within the text. I thought the story was very sad. It made me appreciate the life I have here in America and the many freedoms I experience but too often take for granted. When Rath described her sad story they described her as, "vibrant", "bubbly," and "outgoing." These are not qualities you would expect of a person who went through all that she did. It inspired me to keep my held high and always push forward no matter what I go throught because if she can make it so can I. I did want to know more. The intro left me with questuions like, what did they find when they went back to her brothel? How did she feel? I can not wait to read more.
Karina Ramos
English 1A 9:00-9:50
Wanda Sabir
Feb.3 2011
Paraphrase
Original:
“The factories turned out to be cacophonous hives of distaff bee.”
Paraphrase:
“The warehouse resulted in being loud overcrowded with female workers”
Summary
Reading the introduction to Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, it seems a little bit too much to understand. The fact that they would make young girl have sex with men to pay their dues sounds horrifying. Slavery is something that happened years ago but still today that’s another way for girls to make money. Girls had to be skinny for men to desire them because they didn’t like fat girl I bet everyone wanted to be fat just for the fact off not having to have sexual intercourse with older men that by the way could off even been their dads age. I can’t understand why immigration would send the girls to another trafficker instead of sending the girls back to their country. In kind of seems like everyone is in it for these girls to continue getting raped and taken advantage off.
Vanessa Dilworth
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50am
2 February 2011
Summary for Introduction to Half the Sky
Srey Rath, a Cambodian woman, at age 15 was under the impression she leaving to work as a dishwasher in Thailand but consequently bought by a brothel keeper from her scoffers and taken to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to prostitute. At first she resisted only to be drugged and beaten to the point where she smiled at the customers. One day she ran away and was imprisoned by immigration and then let out and was sold by the Malasian police to another brothel keeper. She ran away from her brothel and returned to Cambodia and was assisted by The American Assistance for Cambodia who helped set up her own business that allows her to care for own family, as well as her parents and siblings.
The writers of this book are husband and wife, Nichols D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, who started off covering everyday news like democratic protesters being shot, but when they found out that massacres such as these happened everyday, at an alarming rate, with wives in India being burned at the stake and unwanted female infants in China dying from common illness, they decided to change their priorities. They stated that there are approximately 100 million females missing from the world due to gender discrimination and that more girls have gotten killed in one decade than all the men in the 20th century wars. They also stated ways on how to combat this perpetuating cycle. They affirm if woman contribute to their countries income and become educated they will eliminate poverty and increase infant mortality, not to mention empower themselves. In countries such as China, where woman have contributed they have become the backbone of their countries and have made it one of the richest in the world.
The last thing the authors wanted to point out was that was their hope to increase awareness on the abuse of woman worldwide. They want people to help fund this cause so that this problem can peter out. Rath has since went back to the brothel that bought her and discovered that all the woman have been set free.
Stacey Kidder
Professor Sabir
English 1A
3 February 2011
In the introduction of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide, the reader is immersed in a world that most don't know exist, the many forms of oppression in women around the world. Instantly, the authors take the reader through the memories of a young Cambodian girl who was tricked into leaving her family in hopes of a new job in Thailand that would help her support them after financial distress surfaced. After traveling to Thailand, the girl, along with others, wound up in a brothel as prostitutes for a man who claimed that the girls needed to repay him by working to please clients for money. After incurring drugs, abuse, both physically and sexually, death threats, and feelings of hopelessness, the girl managed to escape, only to have found herself back in a different brothel thanks to the corruption of the Malaysian police. Luckily, the second brothel wasn't as tightly run as the previous one she had been in, allowing her to escape a second and final time, in which she returned to her family.
The authors then captured the reader's attention by comparing and explaining some startling statistics and scenarios in which women worldwide face each day. Topics such as the neglect and death of female infants, sex trafficking, immolation by others, and the overall inequality that hammers upon women in ways unimaginable to the average, fortunate individual were mentioned. But the news they shared was not all bad, because they also explained how important the lives of women are when impacting our societies on family, health, and economic levels, creating the idea that women aren't useless beings of lesser importance, but rather the stepping stones of solidity in all of our lives.
In the end, the authors shared how the girl's story became a happier tale, noting that she eventually became a businesswoman running her own shop thanks to the help of an organization that allowed her to receive a loan to help her initially get her on her feet and on the path of becoming financially stable. On that note of hope, the authors prepare the reader for how their research and ideas will be broken down for a better understanding of this oppression. The goal is that after being informed, readers will be moved to take steps in joining the fight to bring opportunity from within the dim worlds of women, globally, and to one day eradicate the oppressions, entirely.
Sherri Short
Professor Sabir
English 1A
2 February 2011
Summary of 'The Girl Effect'
The introduction outlines the story of Rath, a teen girl from Cambodia, who is tricked and forced into prostitution and sexual slavery. It briefly details her experience and her exodus from the ordeal, including corrupt government officials. The authors were journalists who feel compelled to focus on the oppression of women and girls to try to make a change. They hope to make this happen through changing people's general outlook, laws, education of females and microloans. The pair also hope to enlist the readers assistance to campaign against these abuses and help to make governments recognize, acknowledge, and end the oppression.
Tyrone Jackson
Professor Sabir
English 1A
February 2, 2011
Summarizing half the sky introduction
Srey Rath I feel is a very strong woman, she comes from a family that worked but just dishwasher. Rath and four of her friends went into deep Thailand and were handed to some gangsters. The men ran a illegal prostitution business, Rath and her friends were forced to join. Rath always had a strong mind, but it was the people around her that kept her from overcoming the brothel. Rath was getting different treatment from the other girls in the brothel, so that made her stand out, but she still did not like the fact she was in the brothel home. Rath knew she had to get away.
The outline of Rath escape was brilliant. She dressed up in custom jewelry, note book; pen and that made her look like a saleswomen. Rath knew if the woman had access to proper education they can make something out themselves. I believe the introduction was giving us a look at what is going on around us and even in our face. In the environment that we live in women and men are excepting the illegal right of prostitution. Young girls are getting forced into prostitution every day. When was taken back to the red-light district in full protection; since she came back to the village people have talked about her and called her names through the town.
Rath see the bigger picture, it is girls and woman in the world that need help, also the boys and men too. If we step up and come together as one to stop this illegal prostitution and trafficking the world would become much better.
David Odza
English 1A
9:00-9:50
Prof Sabir
2/3/11
The introduction to the book, Half The Sky, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn explains the situation in Asian countries. The authors start out by introducing themselves, and presenting their background. Then they introduce who seems to be the main character, Srey Rath. Srey Rath is a Cambodian teenager who, like many other women living in Asia, has underwent traumatizing hardships.
Srey Rath's family ran out of money when she was fifteen, so she planned to get a job as a dish washer in Thailand. Her, and four of her girlfriends arranged the job through a job agent, who brought the girls to gangsters in Thailand. He sold them to gangsters, who beat them and used them as sex slaves in their brothel. The girls got desperate, and risked death crossing a rickety board over a tenth floor balcony to escape. They escaped and found a police department, where they were arrested for illegal immigration. She had to serve a one year sentence in prison. After her sentence was done, the policemen who she thought was taking her home, sold her to a Thai brothel. The Thai brothel didn't keep close watch on her, so she escaped after two months and made it home to Cambodia.
Many women in Asian countries are severely discriminated against. Women being sold to brothels is a common occurrence. Most of the manual labor jobs are done by Women, if they're not killed when they are infants. A large proportion of baby girls die in infancy in these Asian countries. Women rights in these countries are the biggest discrepancy between fairness and people in the world at this time.
Andrew Duong
Professor Sabir
English 1A
February 3, 2011
Half the Sky: Srey Rath's Road to Success
In the Introduction chapter of Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, the idea of gender inequality is brought up into context and supported by a mistreated female herself whose name is Srey Rath. Rath was a Cambodian teenager when all she wanted to do was work and support her family. While searching for work with job agents, she unfortunately ended up in the capital of Malaysia where she was forced into unpaid prostitution. Going through all the harsh punishments and beatings, Rath decided to escape even if it meant death. Years later, Rath was able to find an organization that funded struggling people with a sum of money to start up her own little business. From there on, she was able to work, build up her business, and take care of her family including several children. Rath's road to success cannot be forgotten as it is a story that truly pulls out the mistreating of females in the world whether its abusing or trafficking.
Bringing up this shocking life is a hopeful attempt to show the world what has been happening to females through the decades. These kind of events occur everywhere on earth. One statistic shows that more girls have been killed in the last five decades than males were in all battles during the twentieth century. It is extremely shocking to hear because most of these females do not die in war or anything, but rather than getting murdered in every way possible. Also, it has been said that if females were just given a chance to live and work their way up the ladder, making a difference is very possible whether it's for a country or just a small community. The world needs the female population, killing them would only cause more harm and disturb peace.
When all is said and done, only technique to stop this cruel situation is for everyone to step in and play a part in wiping away gender inequality. The author of Half the Sky knows this and wants to recruit more people into the movement. If slavery was destroyed, gender inequality has all the chance in the world to do be gone. Transformation doesn't happen out of nowhere, individuals must step up to the plate and play a crucial role to achieve this goal.
Alex Peña
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9am
3 February 2011
Half the Sky Introduction Summary
I read the introduction to Half the Sky and to tell you the truth I sometimes forgot it was the introduction and I thought it was really the first chapter. I say this because I really don’t enjoy reading but the book started off so hard and interesting that it sucked me into it. At first it talked about the authors past and future, and what they do for a living. They both worked for New York Times and gained much recognition for their stories and pictures they took in many distinct places.
I like that they are trying to spread awareness of women brutality and discrimination threw out the world. The story that stuck to me the most was the one about Srey Rath a woman from Thailand. In order to help out her family she decided to go work for a restaurant across the border. But when she got their Rath and her friends were handed over to a prostitution house. While she was there she was drugged, molested and beaten. One day she was able to escape and went to a police station for help. Instead of helping her and cracking down the place, she was put in jail for a year and then returned to another prostitution home.
I think that this is a real sad story and it makes me mad that such injustices like this still are able to exist in this world today. Good thing for Rath is that she was able to escape back to Thailand were she received help and was able to start her own business and take care of her family and son.
Summer Hurst
Pro. Wanda Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50am
3 February 2011
“Half of the Sky” Summary
The Introduction of Half the Sky: The Girl Effect, gives the audience a brief clip of what the entire book is about. The authors: Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn share different journeys of several women who have a wounded past and how they got back on their feet. The first women they talk about is Srey Rath, a young Cambodian woman, who was forced into brothel trafficking (sex trade) as a teenager. Her experience is well written with many details which gives the audience a clear idea what kind of stuff she went through. In the brothel, rath and a few other girls were raped, beaten,given drugs, and forced to work long hours seven days a week. She eventually escaped,but got arrested for illegal immigration. Through out the introduction, women discrimination is brought up and is starting to become a huge issue in many countries all over the world. “Gender inequality hurts economic growth.” Many interesting facts are given specifically about young adult women. “Indian girls die from discrimination every four minutes” In the end of the introduction, Kristof and Wudunn list solutions and ways to solve these issues. “Women are not the problem, but the solution” Since the introduction is very descriptive, I have a feeling that the rest of the book is going to be just as informational. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the book.
Dereje Bizuneh
Prof. Sabir
English 1A
9:00-9:50 am
Feb 3, 20011
Summery of the Introduction
Half the Sky is the book that everyone should read it. As I leaned from the introduction, the entire book is focusing to give a clue about gender discrimination around the world. Most of the introductory part is focusing on the teenage Cambodian girl, Srey Rath, who passed through sex trafficking and how she became a successful saleswoman. It also compares the other countries how they influence the women beside the sex trafficking in Thailand and Malaysia. At the end, it mentioned the solutions of this chaos as well.
When I read the first two pages, I was sad how the girl’s dream changed to different direction. But, it has more details about the other women how they are suffering in different situations that the government and media didn’t pay attention to it. For example, the media were more concern and wrote plenty of articles about human rights because of the massacre that happened in China Tiananmen Square. Four to eight hundred protestors killed on the massacre but thirty-nine thousand baby girls died annually in China, which didn’t get any coverage by the media. The government of India and Pakistan ignored the issues of women who have been burned their face with acid and doused kerosene and alight the whole family because of dowry. The Ethiopian and other African countries government didn’t enforce or teach the family to give attention to the girls as much as the boys because of that most of the girls are suffering on malnutrition till death.
The over all messages of the author is, to be aware about gender discrimination and make us join any organizations that fight against sex trafficking and involve to improve women’s empowerment. According to UNDP research, women’s empowerment helps raise economic productivity and reduce infant mortality. It helps to improved health and nutrition. It makes higher the opportunity of education for future generation. That brings equality and peace around the world
David Guzman
Professor Sabir
English 1A-9 AM
2 February 2011
HALF THE SKY: Introduction Summary
The book begins by telling the story of Rath, a Cambodian girl that wants to emerge from the poverty of her family and travels to Thailand. Along with other friends, they are deceived by traffickers of women and end up in a brothel in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, where the girls were beaten, exploited and not paid for their work. They manage to escape but because of the corruption of some police officers they were put back into the prostitution business.
Throughout the world women's rights are violated every day. In Pakistan or Afghanistan, women are treated as second-class objects. In South America, thousands of women are abducted for prostitution business or mutilated. Each year, about 2 million women disappear because of gender discrimination according to some studies.
This is a tremendous problem, but likewise, there lies the opportunity. Years after escaping from the brothel, Rath received training and economical help from an American foundation and now she owns a store on the frontier of Thailand. Her business allows her to support her family and now she is an example for other women of how to come out of poverty.
Two decades ago, China initiated a program that would use the female workforce which was undeveloped, giving them education and encouraged the girls to work in factories. Now there are millions of women with jobs, they support their families and support the great economy of China. Hundreds of foundations are trying to help battered women but if we really want to end this tragedy, each of us should ask ourselves what we must do so women won’t be discriminated anymore. This book invites us to be part of a movement which creates strong women through education and economic support so they in turn, will break the poverty cycle in their own countries.
Adrieanna Williams
English 1A/8-8:50
Professor Sabir
February 2 2011
Half the Sky Introduction Response
The introduction painted a clear picture of what stories were to be told about the heinous acts that are forced upon women and young girls around the world. In the introduction the writers share a story about a young woman named Srey Rath who was sold into a Thai brothel. Like so many young girls she was promised a well paying job but instead she was sold into the dark underworld of human trafficking. Her story shed light on the abuse that woman and young girls go through on a daily basis in brothels around the world.
In the introduction it sheds light on how the public has turned a blind eye to the trafficking of women and children. Back in the 80’s human trafficking was not on the “global issue” agenda. Recently news outlets have been reporting more on the issue of human trafficking.
The introduction also touches on the empowerment of women through economical opportunities. Srey Rath was able to support herself with the help of an organization called American Assistance for Cambodia. She was able to sell goods from a push cart and after saving enough money she opened her own stall. From there she began charging people to use her phone. She is now financially stable and able to take care of her family. This is a patter called “the girl effect”. According to the book there is evidence that supports the idea that women can be a successful poverty-fighting strategy.
Cody Henneman
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8:00-8:50
3 February 2011
Introduction to Half the Sky
The introduction to Half the Sky introduced a young girl who journeyed to Thailand to get a job so that her family may pay rent. Little did she know, her journey to Thailand was going to be a whole lot longer than expected as traffickers took the girl, as well as other girls and sold them to gangsters in the capital of Thailand. The girls had to work as prostitutes for the gangster. Any sign of resistance lead to being beaten and raped, or even killed. The girls were forced to have sex with strangers and were drugged so that they would please their customers. After quite a while of forced prostitution, a few of the girls found escape. Only to be caught by the police and put in the same situation after a year of prison.
Rath, the case study of the trafficked girls, made it back home, and recieved aid from organizations to start her own business and make a life for herself. Rath became a successful business woman. She made it through her trials successfully and lives her life freely now.
Krystof and WuDunn begin to highlight their adventures and all of the injustices they have seen in their travels. the authors both talk about the Tiananman Square incident and how they saw it first hand. Also they comment the woman, just like Rath, who are having extreme amounts of injustices upon them. They use for examples many woman from the Middle East who are burned and even seared with acid for irrational reasons like the man mistrusting his wife.
Audrey Topacio
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8:00-8:50 am
03 February 2011
Summary of Half the Sky Introduction
Half the Sky's introduction is about what the readers are to expect from the book, which is about the oppression of women all around the globe ranging from sexual assault to trafficking women the "gendercide." The mistreatment of women happens all around the world every single day but the stories of these women are overlooked. take for example the gendercide that happens in China, Infant girls are more likely to be killed than infant boys but not a lot of people know about it nor take action to stop this type of oppression. Same goes for the women smuggled in different countries, kidnapped and forced to be prostitues. Little attention is given to issues that were stated, that is why the authors of this book, Kristof and Wudunn, are aiming to open the eyes of the people about this crucial issue. Hoepfully, when everyone is done reading Half the Sky each and everyone would join the movement to make the stories of these oppressed women heard and the governments around the globe take action on this issue.
Erin Callahan
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-850
Feb 3rd 2011
'Half the Sky' introduction summary:
Nichola Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn present an intense and unsettling argument for human rights and the importance of education woman.
Two journalists set out to report on international affairs- what they uncovered was shocking. Teenage girls trafficked into sex slavery, beaten, raped, drugged...helpless.
Gender inequality is so widespread the statistics are staggering. Millions of young women go missing every day in places like India, Malaysia, and China. Where men are revered as having value and power, woman are simply cast out, degraded, and are dispensable.
Fortunately studies have shown in East Asia that educating woman and placing them in the work force not only "delays marriage and reduces childbirth", but greatly increases global and economic markets. This is know as the "Girl Effect".
Feeling a great deal of gratitude for my own freedom, independence and safety as a woman, it is not without a feeling of great sadness and sorrow for the woman who endure torture every day and might never experience freedom of their own.
Teepian Yu
Professor Sabir
English 1 A
3 February 2011
Half The Sky Introduction Summary
Reading the summary of Half The Sky made my eyes open and mouth drop. I haven’t heard much about the cruelty of human trafficking in this day and time. I was very unaware of how serious this evil act is. The introduction follows a Thai girl named Srey Rath. The reader follows her strenuous journey through the life of being in a sex trade business. Authors Kristof and WuDunn are able to capture the brutality the girl goes through daily and also able to show how loving of a person she is. This profession was not a choice for her. Like many other poor women in Thailand and Cambodia (her homeland), criminals forced them into this practice. During a rough economic time, many women result in doing such grotesque things as prostitution to pay off debts and to eventually survive in this cold world. Rath’s journey to prostitution starts with her being traded around by malicious employers. She originally travels to Thailand to work at a restaurant, but instead, she is sold to criminals and pimps in Kuala Lampur. After being drugged and beaten, her pimps force her to have sex with various clients. Rath, along with the rest of the poor girls forced to partake, were not payed for their services but were tricked that their services will pay off family debts. The pimps would make sure to keep the girls heavily drugged in order to have no disagreements and struggles with clients. Kristof and WuDunn explain that Rath and some of the girls she befriended were later able to escape through the rooftop. They flee to a police station where they are then arrested for illegal immigration. The girls served a 1 year sentence in Malaysian prison. After Rath’s release from Malaysian prison she is unfortunately forced back into prostitution when she is traded to pimps in Thailand. Although her new owners were not as brutal and violent, Rath had to withstand the daily sexual abuse of clients. After a short two month stint, Rath is able to escape and travel back to Cambodia. To get back on her feet independently, she was able to receive a micro loan from Cambodian social workers to start a small business. The small corner stand/store was able to prosper and she later married and had a son. This story of struggle to triumph makes a great introduction. I look forward to further reading the rest of this book.
Half The Sky Introduction(Summary)
Ramsay Jackson
Wanda Sabir
English 1A 8:00-8:50am
Feb. 2
The introduction of the book centers a Cambodian girl named Rath. When she was fifteen she decided to live home with four friends who had been promised jobs as dishwasher in Thailand by a job agent. She saw it as a way to help support her parents because they had ran out of money. But when they got to Thailand the job agent gave the girls to gangsters. Who then brought them to the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
She was taken into what seemed to be a karaoke bar, but then realized it was a brothel. She was told by the boss of the brothel that he paid money for her and that once she paid her debt to him she would be free. The boss then locked her up with a man who forced himself on her. She tried to fight back, which in return just angered the man. The boss and the gangsters beat and raped her and threatened to kill her if she did not “serve the customers,”. She was drugged and then agreed to do as the boss said or he would kill her. They were kept naked so they could not hide money or run away and were not allowed to ask customers to use condoms and were never paid.
They never went outside because they were never allowed. But, one night some girls were able to pry of a loose long board from a rack on the balcony. The places the board between their balcony and the building beside theirs and walked across. They banged on the tenants window until he left them through where they went out the front door and down a elevator. They went to a police station where they were arrested for illegal immigration and had to serve one year in prison. Then once she was released she was being escorted home by a police officer where she was sold again at the Thai border and taken to a Thailand brothel. At the Thai brothel she was not watched as closely and two months later escaped and made it back home to Cambodia.
Rath met a social worker that help her find a group that help girls that had been trafficked heal from what had happened. They were called American Assistance for Cambodia and helped find funds to donate 400 dollars to Rath. She then bought small cart to become a street peddler. She now is able to support her parents, two sisters, and son.
The stories main points where about the abuses woman go threw around the world and how woman have very little or no status in their cultures. How in eastern Asia and in the muslim culture bride burning takes place every two hours. Or how woman will have acid thrown on them if they do something their husband sees as disobedient. It's slowly being more recognized about these problems but there is still much needed work to do to help these woman.
Kaijie Zhang
Professor Sabir
English 1 A
3 February 2011
The introduction of " Half The Sky" wrote about gender discriminate around the world, so Nichola Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn are focusing on three particular abuses：sex trafficking, forced prostitution and gender-based violence.
First of all, the introduction began with an example of Srey Rath's painful experience. Rath is Cambodian teenager who is pretty and self-confident. When she left homeland to earn money she started strenuous journey in Thailand. And then she was sold to gangsters to work in karaoke lounge that operated as a brothel in Kuala Lumpur. After she was drugged and beaten by gangsters, she is trafficked and forced into prostitution and become sexual slavery. She was beaten by gangsters if she refused to serve the customers, and also they did not give girls enough food. Fortunately, she got chance to escape and come back to Cambodia , she got new life to owned a small business and become independent woman.
The issues of women unequal status also happens in India, East Asia, the Middle East, and China. There were many baby girls die in China every year because their parents did not give them medical care as boys. On the other hand, The government of India and Pakistan ignored the of " bride burning" because of dowry. In Pakistan or Afghanistan, women are treated as second-class objects. Therefore gender unequally is being a main problem nowadays that the authors mentioned.
Finally, the authors stated many ways of women right reform, like provided the protection to women, and give every girls a chance to accept an education or a microloan. And also women issues can be " global issues", so we need to take action on those issues.
Julie Phoukeo
Professor Sabir
English 1A
8-8:50
3 February 2011
Half The Sky Introduction Summary
The summary in the introduction for, “Half The Sky” by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn discover main topics faced by women all over the world, including forced prostitution and sexual abuse to a lack of medical care and education. Their passion for the empowerment of women across the world is noticeable throughout the book, found in the details of the stories they describe from real women, experiencing disturbing situations in a very problem-filled world. This book is for anyone who shows that is passionate about the empowerment of women and world justice; for those who long to see the world actually become a better place, and for those who feel a need to do something about it.
Yet in places like Thailand and Malaysia sex slavery of young people, women mostly, are common. Girls are lured from their villages with story of work in factories, then treat roughly and trapped in the brothels where they service men and end up with AIDS and other diseases. The authors tell the story of these girls, their disgraceful and not-often-successful attempts to return to their families, and their difficulty in finding alternative work. It is scary to realize that trade in people's bodies and spirits not only exists, but accessories. A heartbreaking look at the degraded life that too many people are allowed to lead and the attempts that some is making to improve their own lot through education and business.
Jeffrey To
2/2/2011
English 1A
8-8:50
Half The sky summary
The introduction to half the sky was intense and emotional. From the introduction the book is about sex trafficking, how in 3rd world country women do not get the same and exact treatment as men, and how women are abuse every day. Women have to fight and struggle in order to survive in poor countries. In 3rd world country they have corrupted government that won’t even listen to a women’s problem or issue.
In the book Half in the sky, the introduction is about a Cambodian teenager named Srey Rath who wanted to earned money for her family working in a restaurant but ended up being a victim of prostitution, corrupted government, and sex trafficking. She had to live the life of a prostitute for many years until she earned the courage to free and dedicated herself to stopping prostitution so girls that were in her age will not have to live her life.
In the book it gave statistics and examples how girls are treated unfairly. In most countries like China, Pakistan, and Malaysia women are treated horribly. These countries find them replaceable and unknowledgeable. In China for example for every one woman there are 100 men. The populations in woman are scarce.
Fortunately, there are organizations that want to stop sex trafficking, force prostitution and gender base violence. They want to help and provide women education.
Farhad Rahimi
Professor Sabir
English 1A
Feb 2, 2011
Summary of introduction to 'Half the Sky'
Although we are all aware of gender inequalities here and abroad to a certain degree, the introduction to half the sky brings to light the extent of not only the inequalities, but also the brutalities committed against women and girls worldwide. Authors, Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn start off by introducing the readers to the story of a Cambodian girl named Srey Rath. Srey was only fifteen years old when her family's financial hardship forced her to accept a job as a dishwasher in Thailand. She and four of her friends who were also promised the same position were instead taken to a brothel in Kuala Lumpur where they were forced through intimidations and beatings to work as prostitutes. The girls were locked up and kept naked in order to prevent them from escaping; however, she and some of her friends managed to escape through a balcony and went to a police station to seek help, instead they were sent to jail for a year for illegal immigration. Upon her release while she thought she would be returned home, she was instead sold to a trafficker by the policeman transporting her. The trafficker then sold her to a brothel in Thailand. After two months in the brothel, she managed to escape and return
to Cambodia where she met a social worker who helped her get in contact with an aid group which helps trafficked girls. The aid group used donated funds to buy Srey a cart so she could start a new life by becoming a street peddler selling goods to travelers on the Thai, Cambodian border. Today Srey has two stalls, and has started a business charging a fee to customers who needs to use her cell phone.
The story of Srey’s ordeal is not an isolated incident, but rather an everyday occurrence. Women and girls worldwide are mistreated daily, which makes promoting gender equality an imperative mission across the globe.
Adalie Villalobos
Professor Sabir
English1A 8-8:50am
4 February 2011
Half the Sky Summary
Rath was a young girl that tried to make money for her family. While trying to do that, she was taken away by a man named “The Boss”. He took her and two other girls into a brothel where they were beaten and raped continuously. Because Rath was a fighter, they needed to tame her by giving her a “happy pill”, which relaxed her and made her unable to fight. They managed to escape to a police but were told to go back to another man who owned a brothel. Rath was able to escape and went to a group called American Assistance for Cambodia. They gave her money and a cart to sell goods to travelers. She managed to make money for her family and even had a son of her own.
There are 39,000 baby girls that die annually in China due to no medical care. Boys receive more attention because women are not important to society there. There is this unfortunate thing called “Bride burning”, which eliminates wives as a result of punishment or so that a husband can remarry. At least two million girls disappear due to discrimination, and ultrasounds assisted women who were aborting female fetuses. There are many programs that help woman in need such as, BRAC, UNICEF, and UNDP. These programs give money, food, shelter, and just overall help women who are really trying to have a better life for themselves and maybe even they’re family.
Zinaida Dzhilavdaryan
Professor Wanda Sabir
Summary of the introduction to “Half the Sky”
English 1 A
February 5, 2011
Throughout centuries women have been discriminated for different reasons. And still it is the pressing problem all over the world. Two journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn in their book “Half the Sky” tell the stories of women from different parts of world, women who experienced violence and abuse. The introduction starts with the story of Rath, ordinary Cambodian girl. She left her small town to help her family with money. She was handed to Thailand gangsters to work in brothel. Ruth tells all the details and horrors of her imprisonment. The girl escaped and used every given opportunity to change her life. Ruth represents all the women in the world suffering from slavery, discrimination and exploit.
The introduction contains plenty of examples of how women and girls worldwide struggle for their human rights. Girls are dyeing every day, due to the lack of education and medical assistance. The other reason is poverty of the majority of population.
According to the book statistics shows that: “… More girls have been killed in the last fifty years, precisely because they were girls, than men were killed in all the wars of the twentieth century. More girls are killed in the routine “gendercide” in any one decade than people were slaughtered in all the genocides of the twentieth century”. The statistics is shocking and awakening. The pictures of women and girls burned with acid and tortured make us feel their despair and pain. Authors of the book describe our century as a century of struggle for gender equality.
And I think the main intent of this book is to make us realize that while in our life “discrimination is usually a matter of unequal pay, in much of the world discrimination is lethal”. According to authors of the book, investments into the women education and creation of new jobs for women can help them survive.
Ruth’s story had a happy ending. She was strong enough to start a new life. Today she is married, has children, and helps her family. Ruth demonstrated that you can fight anything and anyone if you use every given opportunity and never give up. It proves that every woman can fight any kind of discrimination.
Tyler Mecozzi
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8A.M.
6 February 2011
Original phrase: Something bothered us each time we explored Shunshui and the surrounding villages: Where were the young women? Young men were toiling industriously in the paddies or fanning themselves indolently in the shade, but young women and girls were scarce.
Paraphrase: Something agitated us each time we adventured Shunshui and the surrounding villages: Where were the young women? Young men were laboring industriously in the paddies or fanning themselves casually in the shade, but young women and girls were not to be found.
Ryan Reyes
Ms. Sabir
English 1a
2/3/11
The introduction to Half the Sky introduced the story of a young girl in Thailand named Rath. As we follow her through her experiences as a victim of human trafficking, we come to understand the main issue with woman and girls being abused by the political systems in other countries.
Rath, being able to escape from a brothel ends up in prison for illegal immigration and is then allured into another brothel after being released. After a certain matter of time, she was able to escape once again and find her way back home to relive her life to support her family by starting a small business.
Tyler Mecozzi
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8a.m.
6 February 2011
Summary of Chapter 1
Meena having two children in the brothel made her story that of a hero’s. Her resilient nature made it possible for her to one day leave the brothel; for if she would have given in to the beatings and negligence, she would have lived there until she died. Instead, Meena never fully cooperated with the owners and made it a hassle for them to keep her in the brothel. This allowed Meena to be released from the brothel and work in town as a prostitute, but she still had to pay the owner or else she would be beaten.
More often than not, the owner was not happy with Meena’s earnings and would beat her publicly in the street. During one beating, a respected physician came to Meena’s aid and stopped the man from beating her. This physician was her neighbor and they ended up marrying. This marriage allowed Meena to stop working for the brothel owner, but she went back for her children. She was prohibited of entering the brothel and was thrown out multiple times by the body guards.
With Meena losing hope of ever seeing her children again, her son shows up in her town just after escaping from the brothel. This gave Meena new hope and more determination to free her other daughter from prostitution. Meena went to AAWW for help. This organization persuaded the local police to raid the brothel where Meena’s daughter was held captive and return her to her mother. They succeeded. Now her children are enrolled in a town school and Meena is a community organizer.
Vanessa Rocha
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8AM
02/06/2011
Half the Sky - Introduction Summary
According the authors of “Half the Sky”, Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Srey Rath is a fifteen year old girl from Cambodian whose family is in financial difficulty, so she decides to take a temporary job along with some friends at a restaurant in Thailand. The job agent sells them to gangsters, but then Rath and tow friends are sequestered by another men who end up taking them to a brothel in Malaysia. There, she is beaten, raped, abused and obligated to work for about fifteen hours a day with no compensation, little food and barely no possibility of escape. Rath and some other girls manage to escape trough their balcony to the side building and were able to get to the police station where they were arrested and Rath in particular served one year for illegal immigration. Then, thinking that she would go back to her city, the police man drove her to the border and sold her to trafficker, who then sold her to a brothel, which she was let loose giving her the easy opportunity to escape. This story is just one of many that give the readers a little knowledge about what is happening world wide and also tell the experiences of the authors on their journey in China. After, Rath was back to Cambodia, she met a social worked who helped her financially to start a little business selling goods on the street in a cart, she managed it well and ended up buying a stall next to her spot and is was able to supply for her parents, two sister, and her son. The authors will tell us some strong stories about women abuse, violence, rape, prostitution and enforce some solutions if possible.
Vanessa Rocha
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8AM
02/06/2011
Paraphrase
We hope to recruit you to join an incipient movement to emancipate women and fight global poverty by unlocking women’s power as economic catalysts.
We desire to inscribe you to get into a inchoate cause to give equal rights for females and go against poorness by setting free their power as economic accelerator.
Diallo Ibrehima
Professor Wanda
English 1A
Half the sky introduction summary
Half the sky by Sherly WuDunn in the introduction she talks about problems that many women face in the world today. It all started off by rath young lady with unbelievable story. Rathe with her teenager friends were living in poor circumstances. They were all struggling to make a better living for themselves and their families. There for they all decided to go work in restaurant in Thailand so they can provide, support their families. Come to find out they were tricked into working as prostitutes
Rath was beaten and raped by her pimp. She one day decided to run away so she can return home to her family but ended up in the same circumstances. This time it was by a different pimp she was working for a while as sex slave.
She managed to escape from the second brothels. She found a way to get back home which is Cambodia. In other hand of introduction also talks about little, girls in China which was all about child mortasi ty. In China it shows that they care more about their male than female, because they believe one day the man can carry on the family by gene and the name.
I thought to myself this introduction can’t get any worse than this. However they also talked about “Bride Burning” in India that blew my mind. This woman was burned to death for no real reason. Some people said that man did bad things to brides because it assorted them to remain again if they wanted to.
In Pakistan a lot of woman has been through same circumstances burned to death for no reason. I think their call it “Perceived Disobedience.”
In conclusion the authors point out the valuable speaks of the introduction which was finances problems, lack of education. Solutions to the woman issues are to become community active, educate women about to health care.
Eman Obad
Febuary 5, 2011
English 1A 8:00 -8:50
Professor Wanda Sabir
Introduction summary on “Half The Sky”
I must say, before I start my summary, that this was unlike any introduction I ever read.The
story of Srey Rath was heart breaking. Srey’s parents owed a debt so they paid it off by selling
their own daughter. Srey was told that she would be going to Thailand to work in a restaurant but
later found out differently. She was later told that she would be repaying her parents debt by
prostituting. When Srey would not comply they would beat her , when they got tired of beating
her they drugged her and raped her.
Srey tried to escape from the balcony by jumping. She ran to the police station and
complained about what was happening to her and other girl. Instead of helping her, the police
men arrested her! She was imprisoned for a year under Malaysian laws. After she was done
serving her time, the policemen escorted her to the Thai border where they sold her to a
‘trafficker. After two months of that she escaped and made her way back home to Cambodia
where she met a social worker. The American assistances for Cambodia helped her by provider
her with a starting kit worth 400$. Srey is now a street peddler. The authors also wrote about the statistic of human trafficking.
This story really touched me and I made me very grateful for what I have. A lot of people are
very fortunate in life yet we are all blind to see it. This really has made me think more about
those kinds of issues.
Jonathan Abordo
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
Half the Sky Introduction
Half the Sky, a book by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn is a sad but true story of a woman and her struggles. We are introduced to a young Cambodian woman that is forced into prostitution. She was sold to gang members who brought her to a brothel in Malaysia. There, her and her friends were forced to have sex with anyone that wanted to. If not they were beaten and given drugs until they were willing. Her and her friends did escape, but were instantly brought back.
Marcella Miles
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
6 February 2010
The Girl Effect Summary
In Nicholas Kristof’s and Sheryl WuDunn’s Half the Sky, the book gave light to the difficult topic of female oppression. The authors establish their topic by introducing Srey Rath. Rath is a Cambodian girl who lives through many struggles. Rath was the main focus on the introduction. Rath was a young teenager when she was offered a job along with friends outside her country. She accepted it because her family was in desperate need. Rath and her friends soon realized that they were being trafficked. Rath fought back and tried her best to avoid being a prostitute, but eventually she stopped. Rath tries to escape and upon success she gets sent to another brothel by a police officer. She escapes yet again and eventually finds a career in her local market.
The authors’ next focus is to bring in solutions to the problems abroad. They put an emphasis on starting within the United States first. The introduction presents surprising statistics about premature female deaths, maternal mortality, and sex trafficking. These four things are said to become the whole of the book.
Sherri Short
Professor Sabir
English 1A (9-9:50)
10 February 2011
Summary of Chapter One
This chapter covers the story of an Indian Muslim named 'Meena'. She was kidnapped as a child by brothel owners who enslaved her through adulthood. She bore children while enslaved and eventually escaped. After years of trying, she was able to free her children from the brothel. This chapter focuses on the actual problem at hand, which is slavery. Three factors are mentioned that have worsened sex slavery in the last few decades. These factors are the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, globalization, and AIDS.
Another story in chapter one tells of a teacher in Seattle that encourages his students to help a Cambodian village build a school to help prevent girls from being trafficked. It seems a great success. The students learn that defeating poverty is more difficult than it initially seems. This lesson occurs when a Cambodian student is sent a bike to prevent her from dropping out of school, and the bike is stolen then sold for personal profit by a village elder. The student drops out soon after this. This occurrence inspires one of the Seattle students to choose a career that empowers students worldwide.
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