Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

Now called World Assistance for Cambodia and Japan Relief for Cambodia, American Assistance for Cambodia is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for youth and the rural poor in Cambodia through education, rural development, technology, and health. The organization was founded by Bernard Krisher (1931-2019), a Holocaust survivor who worked as a journalist and covered Cambodia. The country was completely destroyed by the Khmer Rouge regime. Once the regime was toppled, Krisher decided to help Cambodians recover and rebuild their country. One aspect of the organization is the Rural School Project. At the time of the book’s publication, a donor could establish a school in rural Cambodia for $13,000, and the donation was matched by funds from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. This program is still around today.

Founded by Ruchira Gupta and 22 women sex workers in 2002, Apne Aap Women Worldwide is a grassroots Indian organization. Its mission is to empower girls and women, especially those from marginalized communities, to resist and put an end to human trafficking. The organization puts girls and women into small groups to help them collectively access their basic human rights.