World Changing #2 Kathie Chung

World Changing Response #2
Educating Girls and Empowering Women pg. 316
Kathie Chung

Rights of women have been an ongoing social issue that women rights activists have been battling over for decades. A woman’s role in society has always been subjugated beginning centuries ago. They were generally mostly seen as sexual objects/property, only useful for the reproduction of children. Therefore, women were generally not given an education, and if they were to receive an education, they were part of the privileged few, but their basic education and rights did not go to the same extent of those of men. I agree that one of the first steps for the achievement of human rights for women begins with educating girls so that they will have the knowledge of their own civil and human rights, which can cause women to become independent, free thinkers in a male dominated society. Even those girls that come from impoverished families that do not have the funds to educate the girls in the family should be able to join a program such as the one stated in the book (World Bank program). I also agree that with self-help groups, women will have an easier time to gain their rights from a male dominated society. The last section in which the book talks about using beauty salons as a tool for change; it may be a good idea for women to have a place in which to confide and seek protection from domestic abuse and etc., however, I found that it is ironic that women would go to a hair salon. I believe that women go to hair salons to look beautiful for their male counterparts and try to look the way that their society, which is male dominated, believes is the norm. Thus, I found it ironic that women would still go to a place that basically their male dominated society decided that this procedure of beautification was gendered towards women as a social activity, to seek prevention of domestic violence, establish a network of safety, as well as other problems women might be facing.