Many of you probably saw the recent New York Times Magazine piece by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, "The Women's Crusade," bearing the unfortunate tagline "Saving the World's Women." The piece has generated a lot of discussion and debate over their vision of women's rights and the solutions they propose. Here at MADRE, Yifat and I wrote a piece for RH Reality Check laying out some of our critical reactions to the article. Among other things, we argued:
The reality is that US policy has often stood in the way of women’s rights worldwide, throwing up obstacles to women organizing to protect their communities and lives. Yet, Kristof and WuDunn cautiously avoid any critique of US foreign policy in discussing the atrocious conditions of life that so many women face.
They also lavish so much attention on international organizations that are out there “saving women,” that Kristof and WuDunn wind up reproducing the invisibility of the millions of courageous, creative, and undefeated women who are out there helping themselves.
Read the rest here.
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