Are you a woman? Do you like women? I am making a wild guess that anyone who reads this would likely answer yes to at least one of these two questions in some way or another.

I do wonder, though, how much we grasp about the plight of women. Of course, ya, we know about those fun physical differences which make us the only special people who can have babies. But in my suburban American life, as a woman, I actually have it pretty good. Sometimes I don’t think things are totally fair in the States, but I would never say I am oppressed. And of course, there are many cases in our country where women are taken advantage of and hurt. I am not down playing those situations, either.

Okay, sure, I know people who are really into the women’s right’s stuff. Although you don’t typically find me fired up about women’s lib, you will find me burning with anger how woman are treated unjustly all around the world.

So why am I passionate about this? Actually, I think you are too. You just don’t know it yet. Why? Well, in some places girls cannot receive a basic education. In some places women are not paid more than a dime. In some places domestic violence or rape are the norm. And there is no access to justice. In some whole countries of the world there is a quantitative lack of women, as females are not intrinsically valued. In some places female genital mutilation has been carried out on almost every female. Honour killings, acid attacks, stoning, human trafficking, inflicted AIDS, child marriage, being sold (through prostitution or marriage), and even on occasion widow burning still happens. These are all ways women are injusticely treated. This list doesn’t even really even consider natural injustices attributed to poverty, like maternal death, anemia, diseases, and child mortality.

Are you aware of all of those issues that women-kind still face? In the same world we live in? Vaguely, probably. I believe we should all be aware of these things. Every man, every woman should know. People are afflicted just BECAUSE they were not born the right sex.

A recent poll was taken of various international experts, asking them to rate the highest risk countries to be a female within in 2011. Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia topped the list as the most dangerous places to be a woman. The issues facing these countries can be found by clicking this link to watch this 4 minute video.

Honestly, I am not sure you will really become “aware” some of these things are real, unless you get into it a little more. Even if you watch the above video it still only covers five countries. Many of these issues extend to surrounding countries, and are prevalent in much of the developing world. Some of these issues, like trafficking as an example, rate as being very high in the U.S., and modern countries, too!

Know these things are real. Appreciate your freedoms. Dig deeper and do something about it.

Action

Give a $25 loan in one of those five countries through Kiva’s FITE or or CARE both created to empower women.

You can join the humanitarian organization, CARE’s CAN network, which gives ideas on how to act.

Read the book A Thousand Splendid Suns – by far my favorite about being a woman in a world far from mine. This novel follows two women throughout the years in Afghanistan.

For the next present you have to get Auntie Josephine anyway, buy it from organization which exists to be an escape from the types of injustices women around the world face. Thai Song Fair Trade, Freeset, and Amani are great places to start shopping!