Kristof begins by discussing how the problem of the 20th century was slavery and gender inequity is the major problem of the 21st. He and WuDunn then launched into a long-ranging discussion about their observations from global conflict zones. Celebrities like Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Demi Moore, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also did segments for the show.

While the effort was wonderful for consciousness raising, some issues felt as though they were glossed over. For one thing, images of suffering women were shown often - but where were those who inflicted the suffering? A warlord was featured at the beginning of the show, but perpetrators were conspicuously absent from this narrative. Where were the pimps? Former sex slave Long Pross was stabbed in the eye by a female pimp - but this was barely touched upon. In the clip above, Kristof also brings up how the owner for one of the brothels is also an employee of the local police force.

Watching the segment reminded me of the frustration many activists felt when reading The Woman's Crusade article in the Saving The World's Women issue in the NY Times magazine. As Melissa over at Shakesville wrote:

If I'm not mistaken, I just read seven pages that are the philosophical equivalent of "She got raped." Passive. Rape is something that happens to women. Something that gets done to them.

So, apparently, is worldwide institutional oppression.

I don't guess I need to say that I am all for giving women around the world every tool, every resource, every dollar and dinar, every bit of choice and opportunity and access, everything possible to lift themselves up and achieve everything they could want or imagine.

But how can we talk about lifting women up without a serious discussion of, no less without more than the merest passing reference to, who and what has been keeping them down?

The segment focused on women's oppression, but glossed over other complicating factors. For example, Kristof actually purchased two girls from sexual slavery and returned them to their villages. One girl remained in her village and wed - the other went back to the brothels, presumably in search of drugs. Kristof mentioned that this made him understand that "freeing" someone is "more than just opening a door" - but that type of analysis was lacking in the articles and segments that Kristof appeared on. Instead, the focus was on feel-good narratives and painful images of poverty and suffering.

On Oprah's website, she has a registry sub-site set up to help.

The various ways to assist (financial and awareness-based) are helpful, but is human intervention enough in the face of structural and societal problems of this magnitude?

George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Demi Moore And Hillary Clinton [Oprah]

Related: Half The Sky Movement [Official Site]

The Women's Crusade [NY Times]
Here's Your Big Chance To Ask: What About The Men? [Shakesville]

• October 4-11 is Seniors Week in Australia. To celebrate, brothels aligned with Australian Adult Entertainment will offer discounted services to anyone with a seniors' discount card. Wonder if they also offer an early bird special. • According to new research, although women think they don't sleep as well as men, we actually get more sleep on average and are more likely to sleep through the night. They also found that women tend to require more sleep than men. •  A recent study found that breast milk changes in composition throughout the day, and milk collected at night has a higher concentration of sleep-inducing nucleotides. "This made us realize that milk induces sleep in babies," said the lead researcher on the team. • A 21-year-old girl from India disarmed a terrorist leader who had broken into her family's farm house and demanded food and beds for his group of Pakistani militants. After the man attacked her father, she ran out from her hiding place and hit him with an axe, grabbed his AK47 and shot him dead. • Afghanistan is likely to pass the Elimination of Violence Against Women Act, which will allow wives to prosecute their husbands for abuse. But courts hold little power in Afghanistan, and the bill has already been weakened by police and others who insisted its punishments for men be lessened. • John McCain says he's looking forward to reading the part of Sarah Palin's life story where "her selection put us ahead in the polls," but not the part about "disagreements that took place within the campaign." • A new female condom, which costs 30% less than previous versions, will hit Washington-area CVS stores in December. • Elizabeth Smart says her kidnapper Brian David Mitchell raped her daily, and that he was "evil, wicked, manipulative, stinky, slimy, selfish, not spiritual, not religious, not close to God." • Harlan Drake, alleged killer of anti-abortion protester James Pouillon, has been judged incompetent to stand trial, but a judge says that he will likely be competent if he completes treatment. • The person responsible for a Facebook poll asking "should Obama be killed?" turns out to be a child — no charges will be filed against him or his parents. • Women age 35-49 download and listen to more music than any other group, according to new data. Women of all ages were found to visit music websites more often than men. • 

• Connecticut police are searching for Annie Le, a 24-year-old Yale University graduate student who disappeared from outside the school of medicine building on Tuesday. Her purse and cellphone were found inside her office. • And on a campus across the country, students at USC are being warned about two men in a van, who have been stalking female students, and offering them "free rides." • Researchers have found that there are vast fluctuations in the male-to-female ratio for the Hypolimnas bolina, a species of tropic butterfly. The population has recently become female-heavy due to a male killing bacteria. • Melanie Oudin is now receiving media attention for yet another reason: her parents are divorcing. And apparently her mother had an affair with her coach. The "Juicy scandal" is explored in further detail here. • Two parents from Winnipeg have been charged with running a brothel out of their house while their 11-year-old daughter was present. A client reportedly overheard the mother telling her child "that it is OK for women to have sex for money, that it is normal, and talking about another woman giving her husband oral sex." • An unidentified 29-year-old woman fell to her death at an old building at the University of Toronto. She was apparently hunting for ghosts. • A transgender choirmaster for a Catholic church in Italy was fired recently, and the cathedral gave no explanation as to why Luana Ricci was canned. Ricci, who had been working there for 18 years, believes she was dismissed solely because of her gender transition. • While we applaud Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's attempts to address violence against women, we think rape and domestic violence are more than just "not cool." They are, in fact, a huge fucking deal. • The IAAF reportedly has the results of Caster Semenya's gender test, and needs to discuss them with her, but Athletics South Africa is blocking all contract. And ASA claims they haven't heard from the IAAF at all. To further complicate things, an anonymous source "closely involved" with Caster Semenya's gender testing says she has internal testes and no womb or ovaries. The IAAF may disqualify her from future competitions and even strip her of her medal, says the source. •

• A Massachusetts-based research team reports the reason why HIV progresses faster in women than in men: The receptor molecule that recognizes the virus responds differently in women, which leads to further differences in T cell activation. • An eco-minded brothel in Berlin has decided to follow the trend and go green by offering discounts to customers who arrive on bicycles. It's a nice thought, but we hope they don't take it too far and start recycling prophylactics. •  Ugh: 12 women in Sudan were arrested for wearing trousers, and several have already been flogged in punishment, reports a journalist who was arrested alongside the other "indecently dressed" ladies. •  You know how sleeping dogs in Disney movies always seem to be dreaming about chasing something? Researchers from the University of Barcelona noticed the disturbed dreams and diagnosed the pups with sleep disorder RBD. • The presidential beehive has produced its first batch of honey, according to beekeeper Charlie Brandts. The official honey of the White House apparently looks "splendid" and tastes great with a citrus-y flavor. • 151 brides in India were forced to undergo manual virginity examinations by a government-employed gynecologist before they were cleared to participate in a mass wedding. The wedding was part of a government sponsored program to provide poor young women with husbands and a small dowry. "Since there is money involved, many women, try to take advantage," said an official of the required examinations. •  So-called "alpha" women earn 4% more than their "passive" coworkers, a new study claims. They also found that "neurotic" women suffer from their womanly neuroses and earn 3% less. The researchers conclude that women benefit from "alpha male-like" behavior, and thus should try to act "masculine" at work rather than "nice." (Sorry for the excess of quotes, but this "study" seems to require them.) • After spending two decades imprisoned in her home, Burmese democratic leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has begun to fall out of the public eye, and many members of the younger generation view her as a historical icon rather than a living political figure. Suu Kyi is currently facing trial for violating the terms of her house arrest; however, the trial has been temporarily postponed. •  Several ballsy members of Congress have banded together to form a bipartisan women's softball team. "Some of us have thought about playing baseball, but they take it so seriously. If I'm going to commit to be out at 7 a.m. practices, I'm going to want to play at some point. And they're so damn competitive - I know the odds of one of us getting in the game is slim," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. • 

• According to advocacy group Immigration Equality, an estimated 36,000 same-sex couples are bi-national by necessity, as current immigration laws do not allow Americans to sponsor their foreign born same-sex partners for citizenship. • Scientists have found that babies exposed to more television may not learn as quickly as those who spend their time interacting with an adult. • A man suspecting of raping an 11-year-old girl was attacked and critically injured by a dozen residents of a Philadelphia neighborhood. The victim's mother said that she was happy they beat the suspect: "I mean, he deserves worse than what he did to my daughter." •  Several Vietnamese coffee shops in Southern California have created a kind of "Starbucks meets Hooters" vibe with their scantily clad baristas. •  A similar business (same idea, only waitresses are topless) in Maine has been destroyed by a fast-moving fire, which officials believe was deliberately set. • Good news for Fido: The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first ever cancer drug designed specifically for dogs. • One week ago, Memphis resident and reported trans-person Kelvin Denton was shot in the nose and throat. The alleged shooter claims he attacked Denton because he believed Denton was misrepresenting his gender. Denton is currently in critical condition. • If Denton's story didn't make you depressed enough: Two radio show hosts in Sacramento held a half hour show last week in which they encouraged violence against transgender children, who they referred to as "idiots" and "freaks." • A Florida attorney defending a man accused of killing his wife has attempted to shift the blame from his client to the victim's spray tan, which she got the day before she died. • Norwegian researchers have cleared Kegel exercises for pregnant women. Many doctors previously believed that Kegels—often performed by pregnant women to prevent incontinence—could cause complications during birth, but new research proves this fear unfounded. • Bobbi Davis, owner of Shady Lady Ranch in Nevada, said she may hire some male prostitutes at her brothel in order to boost business. At least four other brothels are also considering adding some sausage to their menus. • A curious 7-month-old kitten got stuck up a tree, where she spent the night fending off the vicious attacks of crows. The kitten was eventually rescued by the fire department. • By the year 2017, the majority of practicing doctors in Britain may be female, a recent report "warns." •  The Rhode Island senate has passed a bill that would allow same-sex couples funeral rights, however, the state is still one of the only two in New England that has not yet legalized same-sex marriage (New Hampshire being the other). • It's hard to know what to say: A young Arizona man raped his unconscious girlfriend with webcam directed at him, thereby broadcasting the assault all over the world via Stickcam.com. Apparently the assailant, Jonathan Hock, "is very popular on this site and known for his sex related behaviors."

*Inspired by Shirley MacLaine's assertion that the best parts for actresses fall into one of the above categories.

• Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler: Tomei plays the stripper-girlfriend of a washed-up wrestler played by Mickey Rourke in this drama set in the 1980s. Stripper? Not the same as a hooker for sure, but close enough for our purposes. Also, something tells me that living with a pro-wrestler might lead to some domestic abuse. Just guessing! Verdict: Hooker, with possible undertones of victim.
• Gina Gershon, Love Ranch: Oh, my, GOD this is a must see! Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci are the husband and wife owners of a Nevada brothel (wait, it gets better). They fall into a love triangle with a South American boxer, and according to the Hollywood Reporter, a state senator also becomes entangled in their "sordid affairs." Gershon plays one of the hookers in the love ranch stable. Though I'm dying to see it, the Verdict is still: Hooker.
• Renee Zellweger, My One And Only: In this biopic of actor George Hamilton's life, Zellweger plays his mother, a fancy dame named Anne Deveraux, who is on an East Coast quest to find a rich husband. Verdict: looking for a man to bankroll your lifestyle? That's Hooker behavior through and through.
• Penelope Cruz, Elegy: Cruz plays the student to Ben Kingsley's horny old English professor. Reuters describes Kingsley's character as "charismatic and selfish," and for gods sakes, this movie is based on a Philip Roth novel! Verdict: Victim. Exploiting the power dynamic between professor and student is one of the oldest and grossest tricks in the book.
• Emma Thompson , An Education: Thompson plays the headmistress of a school in this story of a 17-year-old girl who starts dating a 35-year-old sports car driving playboy (Peter Sarsgaard). Thompson's character gets pissed because the girl is putting her chances of admission to Oxford in jeopardy by focusing on her new beau. Verdict: Thompson is OK! 35-year-old dating a teenager? Majorly sketchy.
• Michelle Pfeiffer,Cheri: Pfeiffer is in talks to play the title role in this adaptation of a Collette novel by the same name. She plays a woman who dates the wealthy son of one of her friends. According to Variety, " When he is forced to give up the six-year relationship after marrying someone else, the young man can't forget her and retreats into a fantasy world." Verdict: a woman so alluring that she causes her young honey to go nuts? This broad sounds OK!
• Kristen Bell, When In Rome: Kristen plays a "love-starved" New York City curator who steals magical coins from a fountain in Rome. The magical pocket change causes dudes to aggressively court her like they never have before. Not only does this sound like a blatant rip-off of Love Potion Number 9, but Bell's "love-starved" character sounds like your run-of-the mill romantic comedy heroine Doormat.

Tomei Joins Aronofsky's 'Wrestler' [Variety]
'Ranch' Wrangles Three [Hollywood Reporter]
Zellweger To Star In 'One And Only' [Variety]
Cruz, Kingsley Play Lovers In New Film "Elegy" [Reuters]
'Education' Gets Four Stars [Hollywood Reporter]
Miramax, Pathe Work Out 'Cheri' [Variety]
Bell In 'Rome' At Disney [Hollywood Reporter]

• Males born to women who ate a lot of beef during pregnancy may suffer from reduced sperm counts. [CNN]
• Researchers recommend more MRI scans to be used for women at high risk for breast cancer. Problem is, the US healthcare system isn't set up to handle the estimated extra million women who fall into the "high risk" category. [NYTimes]
• A group of Pakistani female students storm a brothel, kidnap owner. [BBC]
• More reproductive-rights bullshit from the Dakotas. [Salon]
• Two teenage girls take on, embarrass pharmaceutical behemoth GlaxoSmithKline. [BoingBoing]