When asked about her aspirations for “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” Sheryl WuDunn demurely mentions that the work speaks for itself and she hopes it will inspire people to action. Upon catching wind of a naysayer’s opinion that efforts to free women from subjugation may cause more harm than good, [...]

WASHINGTON — Some people eagerly respond to impassioned statements about climate change, such as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s warning we cannot compromise with Earth. Others appreciate stunts, for example, a recent Maldive Islands cabinet meeting that convened under water to signal worries about climate change. To me, though, nothing resonates more than the evidence, [...]

Of all the voiceless people on Earth, I can think of few more unfortunate than the multitudes — mostly women and children — who toil as modern-day slaves. They typically suffer cruelty, deprivation of their rights and unspeakable living conditions. And they face only two certainties, both unpleasant: that they will wake up tomorrow to [...]