Half The Sky by Kristoff and WuDunn

Half The Sky

Half the Sky (Wudunn, 2009) was written by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn. I read Half the Sky while working for the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel as Missional Director. I was responsible for fostering a mission minded culture in 110 churches and para-church works in Mid-Atlantic States. 

I confess Half The Sky was a difficult read. Many times, I put it down saying, “No this isn’t real, this must be fiction. These countries and their oppressive regimes and peoples can’t be causing this level of suffering.” But the credibility of the stories and real people with touching photographs was undeniably real. 

The title of the book, Half the Sky is based on a Chinese Proverb stating, “Women hold up half the sky.” Meaning that their contribution and position is equal to a man. Half the Sky contains fourteen stories of suffering, hope and redemption. They are stories of individuals that turned their trouble into a triumph by helping themselves and then others. A case in point is the story of pregnant Prudence Lemokouno who had already lost her child (still within her) to a lack of any kind of maternal care. She now faced the tragic loss of her own life due to weakness, infection and the apathetic staff of a small hospital. Her husband screamed, “Please save my wife, she is dyeing and you can save her.” The transfusion she needed came too late because the hospital had to send a nurse away to buy needles! 

Stories like this produced a sense of shame and indignation in me and an upset of my comfortable world. I could get medical attention any time of the day or night for whatever malady or sickness I had or my family had. I began to talk to people about the book encouraging them with the stories that everything is not ok in so many countries. I used the statistics to influence those on my team. One woman dies every minute of lack of proper maternal care. I purchased copies of Half the Sky for senior women’s ministry leaders and offered to read it with them. Sadly, there was little interest in the suffering of women globally. It seemed leadership preferred the safe, clean and comfortable American lifestyle to the upsetting realities documented in Half The Sky. 

The true stories are also filled with redemptive outcomes that can, and will, I believe, inspire readers to takes steps forward to get involved in the healing process.