Cyber-Assignment Group Essay
What does an empowered woman look like?
In the 1st paragraph introduce the character
2nd paragraph-- Details of problem or struggle
3rd paragraph--Overcoming obstacles --again details
Use 3 different types of citations (1 per paragraph): free paraphrase, in-text citation, block quote (5+ lines of text)
There should be 5 sentences per paragraphs.
Post the three paragraphs here (early class 8-9 AM). The second class will post tomorrow.
What does an empowered woman look like?
In the 1st paragraph introduce the character
2nd paragraph-- Details of problem or struggle
3rd paragraph--Overcoming obstacles --again details
Use 3 different types of citations (1 per paragraph): free paraphrase, in-text citation, block quote (5+ lines of text)
There should be 5 sentences per paragraphs.
Post the three paragraphs here (early class 8-9 AM). The second class will post tomorrow.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 9:45 AM
14 Comments:
Amani Ali
Farhad Rahimi
David Guzman
Sherri Short
David Odza
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9am
02 March 2011
Meena, an Empowered Woman
An empowered woman is a strong woman who, through circumstances of life, overcomes difficult situations. In addition, through her struggles she inspires those around her to stop the inequities in their own lives. In the book, Half the Sky, Meena is an empowered woman who faced many calamities in her life, yet found the inner strength to overcome them, and has dedicated her life to fighting a very dark evil in society. A sinister man once told her, “You are a prostitute, and you have no honor” (Kristof and WuDunn 6). On the contrary, throughout her life Meena has demonstrated incredible honor and dignity through adversity.
Meena, at nine years old, was abducted and trafficked into prostitution. She was forced to grow up in an unhealthy environment and had two children she cherished. Her children were taken from her by the brothel owners and she was told that she would never escape. Meena sang to them every afternoon:
“India will not be free,
Until its women are free.
What about the girls in this country?
If girls are insulted and abused and enslaved in this country,
Put your hand on your heart and ask,
Is this country truly independent?” (16).
At such a young age, Meena began to recognize that the abuse of women was a huge social problem in her culture.
Meena finally escaped without her children, but fought for many years to rescue them. According to Meena, she was despised by the local villagers for fighting against the brothels, but she did not back down because she knew what was right (16). Today the authors report that she acts as an advocate in her town by spreading her views on education to locals, as well as dissuading child trafficking through parental awareness (16). Through her efforts, she is trying to bring justice in order to protect other women.
Summer Hurst
Mary Watson
Alex Pena
Emmily Manown
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9am-9:50am
3 March 2011
The Empowered Usha Narayane
Usha Narayane is an empowered women from Kasturba Nagar. She is twenty-eight years old with long, black hair, dark skin and a round face. One wouldn't be able to tell from her appearance that she is a strong and determined women. She is a great inspiration to women all over the world. When she felt weak, she picked herself up again.
Usha lived in a small town ran by Akku Yadav, a well known gangster,who raped anyone who stood against him. She was not intimidated by him. She chose to take a stand when he was beating at her door, threatening to abuse, rape, burn and slaughter her. Unlike anyone in the community, Usha stood up to him by threatening back by using a match and a gas powered cooking appliance toward him stating, “If you break into the house, I'll light the match and blow us all up . . .” (51). She influenced her neighbors to get involved. They felt so “empowered” by her actions,they fought back by stabbing him multiple times and castrating him.
As an empowered woman, Usha was able to overcome her problems and become something better of herself. On the quest of starting her new life,she became a community organizer, which helped the Dalits get back on their feet. In her community, she is very protected and very respected. She is the new boss of Kasturba Nagar. The authors of Half the Sky share Usha's story to go more in depth how empowered women are very important:
“'Empowerment” is a cliche in the aid community, but it is truly what is needed. The first step toward greater justice is to transform that culture of female docility and subservience, so that women themselves become more assertive and demanding. As we said earlier, that is, of course, easy for outsiders like us to say: we're not the ones who run horrible risks for speaking up. When a woman does stand also must nurture institutions to protect such people. Sometimes we may even need to provide asylum for those whose lives are in danger. More broadly,the single most important way to encourage women and girls to stand up for their rights is education, and we can do far more to promote universal education in poor countries” (53).
Group # 2:
Cherefah Obad
Julie Phoueko
Erin Callahan
Jon Abouds
What Does An Empowered Woman Look Like?
A great example of what an empowered woman is Meena Hasina. Meena Hasina is a thirty year old Indian/Muslim woman. She came from a very poor family and had little to no hopes of ever having a purpose in life. She was forced into prostitution at a very young age. Throughout her story in Half The Sky, We learn that she has two young children and loves them deeply. Which is the one and only reason for her staying at the brothel she was at. She helped many young women flee the brothel but couldn't free herself knowing she has to kids left behind. She once said, "Once I jumped out of the balcony and didn't even break a leg"(5). Not without her children at least.
She realizes that the only way for her to get her children is for her to start with herself. she must change her life for her children lives to change. She needs to start her path to freedom. Hasina knew she had no other choice. So she fled. She ran away from the brothel.
Not wasting any time, one of the brothel owners found her and made a deal with her. She has to be trafficking and give him his share. She agreed. And one time he didn't like how much she gave him so he beat her in public. A young pharmacist seen this and helped her. Soon later , the fell in love and had kids. She never forgot about her other two kids. She continued to go back to the brothel where her kids were held captive and tried to reason with the brothel owners. In the end,She got her kids back and lived her life to the fullest. Not caring about what others are thinking about her past and always looks ahead for what the future holds.
Meena sings to her two young children:
India will not be free,
Until its women are free.
What about the girls in this
country?
If girls are insulted and
and abused and enslaved in
this country,
put your heart and ask,
Is this country truly
independent.
Tyrone Jackson
professor Sabir
English 1a 9am
02 March 2011
Mukhtar, an Empowered Woman
Mukhtar school, is the place that opened up the heart of Mukhtar. Mukhtar is a empowered woman, she grow up in the poor section of Punjab India. Mukhtar is a fair dark skin wowan with light features. Mukhtar believed education and knew that was the key out of suffering. Mukhtar mutured through the incident and humiliation, she overcame and turned into an empowered woman. Mukhtar quoated, “They know that a woman humiliated in that way has no other recourse except suicide.”(70)
Mukhtar younger brother was kidnapped and ganged-raped by members of a higher status clan, the mastoi. To cover the gang rape, the mastoi clan releases Shakur Mukhtar's brother, and the clan said he tried to have sex with one of the mastoi girls. This was real serious, the mastoi clan called a meeting for the incident, Mukhtar came to the meeting to give her apology. The intention was to punish Mukhtar and her family. Mukhtar was getting nervous from all the mastoi man armed with guns. The council sentenced Mukhtar to be ganged-raped. Four man came and dragged her and raped her one by one. Mukhtar quaoted, “they didnt even have to use there wapons, rape kills.”(70)
Through the mist of it all, Mukhtar builed up strength and went to the police. The president found out what really happened. The president arrest the attackers and then gave $8,3oo in compensation. The money could not take back the incident, but Mukhtar had a plan to overcome her incident and meny other women tragedies. “Why should I spend the money on myself?” “This way the money is helping all the girls, all the childern.”(71) Mukhtar started a school becaused she believed in education. Mukhtar school was sucessful and she became an empowered women.
Andrew Duong
Thailea Boykin
Dereje Bizuneh
Morgan Laporte-Hillard
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50am
2 March 2011
Empowerment: Meena Hasina
Meena Hasina was an Indian girl who was kidnapped by sex traffickers at the age of 8 or 9. Meena was from a poor Indian family who lived near the border of India and Nepal. Meena, also a Muslim, was sold to a low caste tribe called “The Nutt Clan.” According to the book, Meena is now a community organizer in her village who discourages parents from prostituting their daughters and send not only boys, but also girls to school (16).
Meena suffered many trying situations in her time being prostituted. Having two children from two unknown men, was one situation. A son, Vivek, and a daughter, Naina whom were both taken at birth by the brothel owners. Even after breaking free of prostitution, Meena states “I gave birth to her, and so I can never forget her. I must fight for her as long as I breathe. . .” (14). Right around this time, Meena was recalling the age of her daughter taken at birth, with this thought she knew Naina was soon to be sold and something had to be done.
Meena eventually escaped the brothel. She unfortunately had to leave her children. She ran away to a nearby town where she was eventually found by the son of the brothel owner’s son and prostituted. Eventually a man from the town fell in love with her and married her. She had two children with him but could not abandon her other children and she tried over and over to get them back until, with the help of Apne Aap, she succeeded. Meena Hasina Is now a community organizer, she encourages parents not to prostitute the girls and to send both the boy children and the girl children to school. Meena also sends her children to the school Apne Aap set up in her town.”One afternoon, Meena was singing to her two young daughters, teaching them a song:
“India will not be free,
Until its women are free.
What about the girls in this country?
If girls are not insulated and abused and enslaved in this country,
Put your hand on your heart and ask,
Is this country truly independent? “(Page 16).
Meena Hasina is truly a good example of an empowered woman.
Tyler Mecozzi
Vanessa Rocha
Jacob Wise
Ronald Parker
Marcela Miles
The Rise of Mukhtar
In July 2002, her younger brother was kidnapped by a gang in her hometown. He was gang raped and accused of an illegitimate crime that he did not commit. Mukhtar spoke out against the crime against her brother and was sentenced to death in the form of rape. She wrote, "They know that a woman humiliated in that way has no other recourse except suicide. They don't even need to use their weapons. Rape kills her." Empowerment was given to Mukhtar by her choice of not killing herself and finding a new way to bring honor back to the family.
In the village of Meerwala, if a child is raped the family can only gain their honor back through the hands of the rape victim. The victim must announce they have been raped and seek thus punishment awaiting them, which is usually automatic death. Mukhtar's mother and father did not want this to happen so they could prevent the outcome of death. Also the help of a muslim leader speaking up for her led to Mukhtar's revolutionary act that a lot of victims usually don't do. She reported she was raped and was sympathized with. Mukhtar then received a compensation of $8,300, which allowed her to invest in schools to help the youth.
She overcame her problems by "starting a school because she believes in education." Mukhtar also started the Mukhtar Mai Women's Welfare Organization. An aid group that:
operates a twenty four hours hot line for battered women, a free legal clinic, a public library, and a shelter for victims of violence.
Vanessa Dilworth, Daniel Galvez, Kaijie Zhang
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50am
3 March 2011
What an Empowered Woman Looks Like
Living in a peasant family in Southern Punjab in the village of Meerwala has its
challenges. As a young child Mukhtar endured her brother being kidnapped and raped by
the elite Pakistan clan Mastoi, fearing that they would be sought out for their crime, they
blamed her brother for having unlawful sex with a family member. In a village such as
this, where justice is still decided by a traditional tribal assembly, they sentenced
Mukhtar to be gang raped by four men (70). After the rape she sought to kill herself as a
way to cleanse herself and family of the shame the rape brought upon them, but her
vigilant family’s watch stopped that from happening. Mukhtar became enraged at her
attackers and went to the police who imprisoned them, she received $8,300 from the
President of Pakistan at that time, Pervez Musharraf, and opened a school to educate
children in her community to change the long held views that lead to her rape
After Mukhtar Mai got through her painful experience, she didn’t give up on herself.
She said, “This way the money is helping all the girls, all the children.”(71). Even though the government didn’t help her school, she faced all the problems at her school. For example, the Pakistan’s government watched her everywhere in many ways such as: putting her under house arrest and cutting off her land line telephone (72). Throughout all this she fought to empower women by opening up multiply schools, a shelter, and an emergency hotline, which takes these women out of there abused situations and helps them build their lives up positively.
.
Instead of keeping the money for herself she invested her money in what she believed in,
education. She took her money and built schools for children. She empowered herself by
doing what she believed in.
This uneducated woman from a tiny village had stood up to her country’s president and army chief, and after years of enduring unremitting threats and harassment, she had outlasted him. She had taken a sordid tale of victimization and-through her extraordinary courage and vision-became an inspiration to us all(79).
Teepian Yu, Ryan Reyes, Ben Valles
Professor Sabir
English 1A (9-9:50 AM)
3 March 2011
The Empowered Woman
Mukhtar Mai grew up in a village of Meerwala in the southern part of Punjab. “Mukhtar never attended school, because there was no school for girls in Meerwala, and she spent her days helping our around the house.” (pg. 70). Living in a family of peasants, she struggled financially. Little did she know she would galvanize a movement. Her brother was kidnapped and raped by a high class clan. This was the beginning of an unlikely turn of events.
To mislead the police, her brother was framed for raping a girl. As a result of her brother being framed, Mukhtar was gang raped. Screaming and pleading, four men dragged her to an empty stable as a crowd watched. They began to strip her clothes and rape her on the dirty ground. Man after man, each took a turn raping her. After the rape, the men left her there to crawl home almost half naked with the crowd still watching.
Usually, Suicide is expected from a woman to be rid of the shame. But in this case, her family prevented that as they supported her. Eventually, she worked up the courage to report the rape to the police and the attackers were arrested. Sympathizing, the president donated $8,300 to Mukhtar. Mukhtar was able to use the money and start a school. Her courage later led to triumph and Kristoff was able to hear of this amazing feat:
“So, Mukhtar, why did you use your money to start a school?”
“She started a school because she believes in education.” (pg. 71)
Adrieanna Williams, Adalie Villalobos, Zinaida Dzhilavdaryan, Jeffrey To, Theodore Lionberger, Ernesto Castellanos, Group 1
English 1A
4 March 2011
The Empowered Woman
What does an empowered woman look like?
In “Half the Sky,” stories of women demonstrate how empowered women can survive in the most sever societies and overcome poverty and injustice. In many countries women have to be brave to withstand the brutal society they live in. Some women are ready to die for their rights, like in the story of Usha Narayan. Usha is a woman form the Indian village of Kasturba Nagar. She is from educated family and graduated with a degree in hotel management. According to authors:
Usha is self-assured woman of twenty-eight: Short, with long hair, a round face, and thick eyebrows. In a land like India that has long suffered from malnutrition, pounds can be prestigious, and Usha has just enough weight to hint at her own success. She talks nonstop (48).
Her life changed after she visited her family. The local gang was terrorizing the whole village. Her neighbor’s house was robbed; they destroyed the furniture and threatened to kill the family. Usha was the first who complained to police. The gang surrounded her house, carrying the bottle of acid. They were trying to force Usha to withdraw the complaint. But woman was not frightened. She turned on the cylinder of gas. The gang members realized that if they will not step back, she will blow them all up.
When villagers saw Usha fighting back, they found courage to confront the gang. The gang was arrested and Usha became the local hero. Usha was not afraid to die for her rights. She is empowered woman, who overcame life-frightening obstacles and encouraged others. She proved that woman can protect herself. And I believe that fewer women would die every day “if more women stop turning the other cheek and begin slapping back.”
Audrey Topacio
Angela Vasquez
Angelica Munoz
Abraham
Berta Garcia
Carolina Ramirez
Shameiko Porter
Srey Neth is a pretty, short and light skinned girl who is about fourteen or fifteen. She has been at the brothel for about a month, and like any other person who is forced to do something they do not want to do, she is scared for her life as she sits down with Kristof –supposedly her first customer since she has been there. The trace of fear, with no doubt, can be seen as she was being interviewed:
After some awkward conversation…she began to calm down. She stopped trembling and mostly looked in the direction of the television in the corner of the room, which Nick had put on to muffle the sound of their voices. She responded to questions briefly and without interest. For the first five minutes, Neth claimed that she was selling her body of her own volition…but when it became clear that she wouldn’t be beaten…she recounted her story in a dull monotone (36).
Srey Neth was tricked into prostitution by a female cousin. Her family was told that she would peddle fruit in a town named Poipet. When she arrived she was purchased by a brothel and was watched constantly. She was checked by a doctor to see if she was still a virgin. After the examination a Thai casino manager bought her virginity and held her captive in a hotel for many days. She wasn’t able to leave the brothel after that experience, unless accompanied by a family member of the brothels owner. “I can walk around in Poipet, but only with a close relative of the owner,” Neth Explained. “They keep me under close watch. They do not let me go out alone. They’re afraid I would run away.”
Through all her troubles Shrey was able to become an empowered women.
She was able to leave the life her cousins had tricked her into and
become her own person. Although she may have struggled on her own,
with the help of Bernie Krisher of American Assistance for Cambodia
she was able to start beauty school and learn English. She can now
look forward to a life outside of the brothel with no reason for going
back.
Audrey Topacio
Angela Vasquez
Angelica Munoz
Abraham
Berta Garcia
Carolina Ramirez
Shameiko Porter
Srey Neth is a pretty, short and light skinned girl who is about fourteen or fifteen. She has been at the brothel for about a month, and like any other person who is forced to do something they do not want to do, she is scared for her life as she sits down with Kristof –supposedly her first customer since she has been there. The trace of fear, with no doubt, can be seen as she was being interviewed:
After some awkward conversation…she began to calm down. She stopped trembling and mostly looked in the direction of the television in the corner of the room, which Nick had put on to muffle the sound of their voices. She responded to questions briefly and without interest. For the first five minutes, Neth claimed that she was selling her body of her own volition…but when it became clear that she wouldn’t be beaten…she recounted her story in a dull monotone (36).
Srey Neth was tricked into prostitution by a female cousin. Her family was told that she would peddle fruit in a town named Poipet. When she arrived she was purchased by a brothel and was watched constantly. She was checked by a doctor to see if she was still a virgin. After the examination a Thai casino manager bought her virginity and held her captive in a hotel for many days. She wasn’t able to leave the brothel after that experience, unless accompanied by a family member of the brothels owner. “I can walk around in Poipet, but only with a close relative of the owner,” Neth Explained. “They keep me under close watch. They do not let me go out alone. They’re afraid I would run away.”
Through all her troubles Shrey was able to become an empowered women.
She was able to leave the life her cousins had tricked her into and
become her own person. Although she may have struggled on her own,
with the help of Bernie Krisher of American Assistance for Cambodia
she was able to start beauty school and learn English. She can now look forward to a life outside of the brothel with no reason for going
back.
Audrey Topacio
Angela Vasquez
Angelica Munoz
Abraham
Berta Garcia
Carolina Ramirez
Shameiko Porter
Professor Wanda Sabir
ENglish 1A 8- 8:50 a.m
02 March 2011
Srey Neth is a pretty, short and light skinned girl who is about fourteen or fifteen. She has been at the brothel for about a month, and like any other person who is forced to do something they do not want to do, she is scared for her life as she sits down with Kristof –supposedly her first customer since she has been there. The trace of fear, with no doubt, can be seen as she was being interviewed:
After some awkward conversation…she began to calm down. She stopped trembling and mostly looked in the direction of the television in the corner of the room, which Nick had put on to muffle the sound of their voices. She responded to questions briefly and without interest. For the first five minutes, Neth claimed that she was selling her body of her own volition…but when it became clear that she wouldn’t be beaten…she recounted her story in a dull monotone (36).
Srey Neth was tricked into prostitution by a female cousin. Her family was told that she would peddle fruit in a town named Poipet. When she arrived she was purchased by a brothel and was watched constantly. She was checked by a doctor to see if she was still a virgin. After the examination a Thai casino manager bought her virginity and held her captive in a hotel for many days. She wasn’t able to leave the brothel after that experience, unless accompanied by a family member of the brothels owner. “I can walk around in Poipet, but only with a close relative of the owner,” Neth Explained. “They keep me under close watch. They do not let me go out alone. They’re afraid I would run away.”
Through all her troubles Shrey was able to become an empowered women.
She was able to leave the life her cousins had tricked her into and
become her own person. Although she may have struggled on her own,
with the help of Bernie Krisher of American Assistance for Cambodia
she was able to start beauty school and learn English. She can now
look forward to a life outside of the brothel with no reason for going
back.
Audrey Topacio
Angela Vasquez
Angelica Munoz
Abraham
Berta Garcia
Carolina Ramirez
Shameiko Porter
Professor Wanda Sabir
ENglish 1A 8- 8:50 a.m
02 March 2011
Srey Neth is a pretty, short and light skinned girl who is about fourteen or fifteen. She has been at the brothel for about a month, and like any other person who is forced to do something they do not want to do, she is scared for her life as she sits down with Kristof –supposedly her first customer since she has been there. The trace of fear, with no doubt, can be seen as she was being interviewed:
After some awkward conversation…she began to calm down. She stopped trembling and mostly looked in the direction of the television in the corner of the room, which Nick had put on to muffle the sound of their voices. She responded to questions briefly and without interest. For the first five minutes, Neth claimed that she was selling her body of her own volition…but when it became clear that she wouldn’t be beaten…she recounted her story in a dull monotone (36).
Srey Neth was tricked into prostitution by a female cousin. Her family was told that she would peddle fruit in a town named Poipet. When she arrived she was purchased by a brothel and was watched constantly. She was checked by a doctor to see if she was still a virgin. After the examination a Thai casino manager bought her virginity and held her captive in a hotel for many days. She wasn’t able to leave the brothel after that experience, unless accompanied by a family member of the brothels owner. “I can walk around in Poipet, but only with a close relative of the owner,” Neth Explained. “They keep me under close watch. They do not let me go out alone. They’re afraid I would run away.”
Through all her troubles Shrey was able to become an empowered women. She was able to leave the life her cousins had tricked her into and become her own person. Although she may have struggled on her own, with the help of Bernie Krisher of American Assistance for Cambodia she was able to start beauty school and learn English. She can now look forward to a life outside of the brothel with no reason for going back.
Audrey Topacio
Angela Vasquez
Angelica Munoz
Abraham
Berta Garcia
Carolina Ramirez
Shameiko Porter
Professor Wanda Sabir
ENglish 1A 8- 8:50 a.m
02 March 2011
Srey Neth is a pretty, short and light skinned girl who is about fourteen or fifteen. She has been at the brothel for about a month, and like any other person who is forced to do something they do not want to do, she is scared for her life as she sits down with Kristof –supposedly her first customer since she has been there. The trace of fear, with no doubt, can be seen as she was being interviewed:
After some awkward conversation…she began to calm down. She stopped trembling and mostly looked in the direction of the television in the corner of the room, which Nick had put on to muffle the sound of their voices. She responded to questions briefly and without interest. For the first five minutes, Neth claimed that she was selling her body of her own volition…but when it became clear that she wouldn’t be beaten…she recounted her story in a dull monotone (36).
Srey Neth was tricked into prostitution by a female cousin. Her family was told that she would peddle fruit in a town named Poipet. When she arrived she was purchased by a brothel and was watched constantly. She was checked by a doctor to see if she was still a virgin. After the examination a Thai casino manager bought her virginity and held her captive in a hotel for many days. She wasn’t able to leave the brothel after that experience, unless accompanied by a family member of the brothels owner. “I can walk around in Poipet, but only with a close relative of the owner,” Neth Explained. “They keep me under close watch. They do not let me go out alone. They’re afraid I would run away.”
Through all her troubles Shrey was able to become an empowered women. She was able to leave the life her cousins had tricked her into and become her own person. Although she may have struggled on her own, with the help of Bernie Krisher of American Assistance for Cambodia she was able to start beauty school and learn English. She can now look forward to a life outside of the brothel with no reason for going back.
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