A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power

In A Call to Action, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter examines the global crisis of discrimination and violence against women and girls. The book presents extensive research and data on issues including human trafficking, rape as a weapon of war, domestic violence, and systematic discrimination in both developing and developed nations. Carter analyzes how religious institutions and misinterpretations of religious texts contribute to female oppression worldwide. He draws from his own experience leaving the Southern Baptist Convention over their stance on women's roles, while exploring how various faiths approach gender equality and women's leadership. The text outlines specific ways that governments, religious organizations, and individuals can work to combat these issues. Carter provides 23 concrete recommendations for advancing women's rights and creating lasting change in communities across the globe. The book stands as both an indictment of current practices and a blueprint for progress, connecting personal narratives with policy proposals to demonstrate why women's rights represent one of the defining human rights challenges of our time.

Readers describe this as a clear examination of women's rights issues worldwide, backed by Carter's firsthand experiences and research through the Carter Center. Positive reviews highlight: - Concrete examples and statistics - Personal accounts from Carter's global work - Clear action items readers can pursue - Balanced discussion of religious texts/interpretations Common criticisms: - Writing can be dry and academic - Some sections feel repetitive - Religious analysis portions too basic for some readers - Limited coverage of certain regions/issues A Goodreads reviewer noted: "He provides solutions rather than just identifying problems." Several Amazon reviewers mentioned the book serves better as a reference text than a cover-to-cover read. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (3,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (500+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (150+ ratings) According to Reddit discussions, many readers appreciate Carter's direct approach but wish for more depth on specific topics.

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof Documents systematic oppression of women across cultures while presenting specific solutions and success stories from grassroots movements.

The Creation of Patriarchy by Gerda Lerner Traces the historical development of institutionalized gender inequality through analysis of ancient civilizations and religious systems.

Sex and World Peace by Valerie Hudson Links the security and stability of nations to their treatment of women through empirical research and statistical analysis.

Beyond the Veil: Male-Female Dynamics in Modern Muslim Society by Fatima Mernissi Examines how interpretations of Islamic texts have shaped gender relations and women's rights in Muslim societies.

The War on Women by Sue Lloyd-Roberts Chronicles contemporary cases of gender-based violence and discrimination across multiple countries while exploring systemic causes.

🔹 Jimmy Carter established The Carter Center in 1982, which has implemented numerous programs fighting diseases affecting women in developing nations, including the near-eradication of Guinea worm disease. 🔹 In 2000, Carter severed ties with the Southern Baptist Convention after 65 years, citing their doctrine of female submission as a key reason for his departure. 🔹 The book presents findings from meetings with women leaders in over 145 countries, spanning Carter's post-presidential humanitarian work from 1982 to 2013. 🔹 All proceeds from "A Call to Action" were donated to support The Carter Center's work on women's rights and stopping violence against women. 🔹 The 23 action items concluding the book were developed in collaboration with international human rights experts and religious leaders from 15 different faiths at a special human rights conference.