On Monday, Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for The Times and a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner, presented the College’s inaugural Sister Alma Peter, CSC, Lecture. His lecture focused on the themes highlighted in his best-selling book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, which he co-authored with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn.
Kristof and WuDunn believe “the best way to fight poverty and extremism is to educate and empower women and girls.” In their book, Kristof and WuDunn discuss the major abuses effecting women today, including: maternal mortality, gender-based violence, and forced prostitution.
College President Carol Ann Mooney says, “[Kristof's] lecture fits very well with the work of our Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL). CWIL works to develop women’s intercultural knowledge so that our students are prepared to lead the changes needed in the world today.” She adds, “Lectures like this one play a large part in exposing them to the realities of our world.”
Nursing major Anne Kasey '11 appreciated Kristof’s insights into the lives of women in the developing world. She says, “I think it’s an important issue in the world that many people overlook. His lecture provide[d] a great opportunity for the Saint Mary’s community to come together to help support this cause.”
Click here to listen to an interview with Kristof and local NPR station WVPE.
—Sarah Sheppard '11
