Sheryl WuDunn, Co-author of ”Half the Sky,” in Conversation with Kavita Ramdas in San Francisco May 24, 2010

On May 24 at 6:30 p.m., Facing History and Ourselves and The Allstate Foundation will host a community discussion featuring Sheryl WuDunn, co-author with Nicholas Kristof of best-selling book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. The free public event will be held at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, WuDunn has reported from inside some of the toughest regimes in the world, from Myanmar to North Korea. Her latest book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, is described as "electrifying" by the Washington Post and is on the New York Times bestseller list. The book addresses maltreatment, marginalization, and brutality toward women; highlights the trials and triumphs of women struggling for opportunity and equality; and draws a compelling picture of why achieving gender equality is critical to solving the world’s toughest challenges. According toWuDunn, this issue is “the central moral challenge of the 21st century.”

The event will feature WuDunn in conversation with Kavita Ramdas, President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, the world’s largest grantmaking foundation focused exclusively on supporting international women’s human rights. For three decades, Ramdas has worked to empower women worldwide with the financial resources to increase girls’ access to education, defend women’s right to health and reproductive rights, prevent violence against women, and advance women’s political participation and economic empowerment.

“Both Sheryl WuDunn and Kavita Ramdas share powerful stories of resilience and participation from women around the world and are role models to all of us to fight injustice,” said Jack Weinstein, Director of Facing History and Ourselves, San Francisco Bay Area. “We are so grateful that Facing History and Ourselves and The Allstate Foundation are able to bring this important conversation to the educators, students, and community members of San Francisco."

To RSVP for the May 24 Community Conversation, call 510-786-2500 x226, or visit www.facinghistory.org/communityconversations.

This event is part of a national series presented by Facing History and Ourselves and The Allstate Foundation. Community Conversations bring prominent authors, scholars, filmmakers, and policy leaders together with audiences across the nation to discuss topics of civic participation, individual and collective responsibility and diversity.

Facing History is pleased to partner with the following community organizations for this event: Asylum Access, Girls for a Change, Global Fund for Women, Global Women's Leadership Network, International Museum of Women, Reach Global, Spark SF, and World Savvy.