Kick off events for International Day of the Girl: Half the Sky and Fortune’s Most Powerful Woman Summit

International Day of the Girl is October 4^th, but we’re kicking it off early with two exciting events:  The premier of Half the Sky, the documentary and Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit 2012.

How are these two events connected to Every Mother Counts’ focus on maternal health?  Maternal health and women’s empowerment starts with helping girls build bright futures.  Without the right foundation, too many girls in the world wind up in desperate, oppressive situations that cut their potential and lives short.

Half the Sky, the powerhouse bestseller written by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn spotlights the overwhelming challenges and barriers women face in the developing world.  Kristof and WuDunn’s book is touted as a call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation:  the oppression of women and girls.  Told through the stories of girls and women in 17 countries, Half the Sky explores complicated issues like prostitution and human trafficking, gender-based violence, poor education and maternal mortality.  These aren’t stories of victims though, but of women who, with a little bit of help, become victors. Half the Sky is the story of what girls can accomplish with the smallest amount of empowerment and how they change not just their futures, but also the futures of entire families and communities. 

The book was just the beginning.  Half the Sky has now developed into a movement that includes a PBS documentary series premiering on October 1^st and 2^nd, educational tools, online games and other activities and opportunities to bring Half the Sky’s empowering message to the masses. 

Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, held in Laguna Nigel, California October 1^st – 3^rd. is an annual gathering of preeminent women in business, government, philanthropy, education and the arts for wide-ranging, inspiring discussions. Christy is attending and will introduce a special screening of the Half the Sky held on October 2^nd.   Later, she’ll introduce one of the stars of the documentary, Dr. Edna Adan, Founder and Director of the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in Somaliland, as she discusses her work to advance maternal health.

With an eye towards developing leaders of the future, Christy will also be among a team of editors, advocates and celebrities who will work with 35 high school girls (daughters of military families stationed at Camp Pendleton) in a workshop called Notebook Mentoring - the Power of Asking Smart Questions. A discussion on how strong questioning skills can guide young women through their educations and careers is followed by one-on-one sessions where the girls practice interviewing their mentors.   Christy was involved in this workshop at last year’s Fortune event where she mentored a dozen girls and introduced them to the concept of advocacy. 

But just on the odd chance you won’t be at this event next week, you can still join us:

• Watch Half The Sky on your local PBS station this Monday and Tuesday, October 1^st and 2^nd at 9PM. 
• Donate or fundraise for Half the Sky Movement Charities (including EMC) on CrowdRise
• Hold your own powerful summit by gathering a group of your brightest friends and colleagues to discuss the compelling and complicated issues integrated into each character’s story.  Don’t be afraid to include the men in your life. This documentary isn’t just a girl thing. 
• Brainstorm how you can get involved in organizations that empower women and girls.
• Research mentoring opportunities in your own communities. 
• Email or post your Half the Sky/ Power Summit stories on our Facebook page.
• Join our photo contest by sending in pictures of your girls being girls
• Check back for more blog postings about International Day of the Girl, what it means, why it’s important and what you can do.