“In the nineteenth century, the central moral challenge was slavery. In the twentieth century, it was the battle against totalitarianism. We believe that in this century the paramount moral challenge will be the struggle for gender equality around the world.”
― Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Half the Sky exhibit and series will be February 2015 at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library.
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library is partnering with the UNA Center for Women’s Studies to present a series about issues women face globally and locally. The library will be hosting an exhibit based on the book and discussion programs on human trafficking, maternal health, and the fair trade movement. This series is made possible by the St. Francis Project and the Friends of the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library.
About the book:
In Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn take an unflinching look at the oppression of women around the world. Through personal stories, alarming statistics, and cultural and economic analysis, the authors illustrate both the need for change and the obstacles to that change. However, they also provide stories of success and inspiration, resulting in a book that is both unsettling and hopeful and that serves as a stirring call to action.
About the exhibit:
Half the Sky, an exhibit based on the book of the same name, provides a visual, tangible, and dynamic examination of the global oppression of women through the use of personal stories that demonstrate how women and girls are effecting change. The exhibit uses photographs, videos, and cultural artifacts to explore themes of education, economic empowerment, maternal health, and violence against women. Half the Sky was created by the University of South Alabama and made possible by the generous support of the Alabama Humanities Foundation.
Events:
Human Trafficking: The New Face of Slavery
Sunday, February 8, 2:00 pm
We often think of slavery as a wrong from our past or as something that only happens on the other side of the world. However, human trafficking is very much a present problem, and it is a problem that occurs right here in Alabama. Patricia McCay, Chair of the Huntsville-Madison County Human Trafficking Task Force, will provide an overview of this complicated global issue and will discuss local human trafficking. Lynne Caffery, Regional Director of Tennessee Valley Family Services, will talk about her experiences as a trafficking survivor and advocate.
Birth Rights: A Panel on Maternal Health
Sunday, February 15, 2:00 pm
A panel of health workers with experience locally and globally will weigh in on a variety of maternal health topics. Below are our panelists:
Carolyn Waterman is a Registered Nurse who has worked with the US Peace Corps as a Country Director in Romania and Fiji and as a Medical Officer in Kenya. Over the past 25 years, she has also lived and worked in Pakistan, India, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. She is now retired but continues to volunteer in the community.
Dr. Donna Dunn has been a Certified Nurse-Midwife for 13 years and a family nurse practitioner for 11 years. Her practice initiatives focus on providing prenatal care to high-risk women in the high-risk obstetrics clinic at University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her program of research is focused on decreasing the burden of high-risk obstetrical conditions on patients and the community. Dr. Dunn is the co-coordinator of the women’s health nurse practitioner specialty track in the UAB School of Nursing
Stacie Hunt is a Certified Professional Midwife, Certified Herbalist, and Massage Therapist. She serves rural Middle Tennessee and North Alabama, including the local Amish community. She is a staff midwife at The Farm Midwifery Center and also owns and directs Whole Woman Wellness and Education Center in St. Joseph, TN as a safe place for women in the community to come together for support groups and classes. She attended 87 births in the Amish and surrounding communities last year as well as serving as a primary care provider for the Amish community.
My Journey to Fair Trade
Sunday, February 22, 2:00 pm
You’ve probably seen the term “fair trade” stamped on a bag of coffee, or maybe you’ve purchased some jewelry from a fair trade organization. Learn more about what exactly the term means from Melissa Kendrick, who runs Sojourns, a fair trade store in Birmingham, Alabama. She will discuss the social and economic impact of the fair trade movement, which seeks to establish fair, sustainable wages for workers in developing countries.
