Sometimes doing feminist activism can feel isolating--like you are standing in the middle of Times Square, dwarfed by towering skyscrapers draped in objectifying build boards, trying to shout above the hustle and bustle, "Yo! The dehumanization and exploitation of women is not coooooool!"
Women Who Light The Dark is a resounding, restorative chorus of women shouting right back: "Word! This is what we're doing about it!" Photojournalist Paola Gianturco is able to silence the hustle and bustle of this misogynistic, corporatized world with the exquisite beauty of her photographs and the gentle wisdom of her prose. She visits grassroots organizations in 15 countries across the world, seeking to capture a snapshot of what girls and women are doing to heal one another, create community, and end injustice.
The result is a breathtaking book and a total inspiration booster. When Betty, a Zimbabwean 34-year-old asks her elders if she can have a place to build a girl's empowerment village, the men respond, "You are a princess. The mountain is yours." In Quichua, Ecuador, birth is called "bringing a baby into the light." Patricia Bih, a traditional healer in Cameroun, plops a chicken on a man's head as the last stage of a healing ceremony. When it escapes out the door, squawking, she bursts into laughter.
It's not all rainbows and sunshine, of course. The book is also filled with crushing realities. Chan Sophea, a Cambodian guide, takes Gianturco to the killing fields and relentlessly recounts the violent times of Pol Pot and the genocide there. When Gianturco looks weary, Sophea says, "I am telling you every detail because if it ever happens again, I want foreigners to help us. Last time, no one came." Women Who Light the Dark also reminds us of the work left to do.
I can't recommend this book highly enough, especially because all the proceeds go to the Global Fund for Women. ALL of the proceeds. Talk about a worthwhile holiday gift.
Next Time: A holiday book guide and the week after, Katha Pollitt's Learning to Drive.
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awesome! i'm going to have to take a look!
I'm going to grab this for my mum and grandmum for Christmas.
Also Courtney,
is the best description I can imagine for how I have been feeling lately. And it made me laugh.
I am buying one for myself for Christmas (and for my sister of course)! I was going to wait and ask for it for Christmas, but this is something I need for my own soul. Thanks for the post.
I. Want. This. Book!
Too bad I already gave all the people who asked for it my holiday list.
Maybe I'll get it for my mom and then read it. :o)