Women's Rights in the Developing World

I haven't thrown many opinions into the blog yet, but I think this issue needs a lot more attention. It is incredible to think that millions of women are still treated so poorly in the developing world. On the bus ride to Bamako yesterday, I read a fascinating article by Nick Kristof called The Women's Crusade. It's a lengthy article, but I encourage you to read it.

The Women's Crusade - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html?pagewanted=all

In Mali, women are second-class citizens, working hard to support their families with little to no recognition for their work. I found out from a BBC article today that the Malian government recently passed a law that gives women equal rights in marriage. Unfortunately though, the BBC reported that tens of thousands of Malians are protesting the new law in Bamako. Considering that the majority of Malian women are illiterate, most will never know about their new rights.

Mali protest against women's law - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8216568.stm

That is one advantage of the Peace Corps' development approach; since we are speaking the local language and working in the same village for two years, we become respected members of the community. We can cross the social divide and talk directly with women to understand their concerns. I'm not sure what my role will be here yet, but I would like to help wherever possible in community development, and the key to success lies in helping women.