Related Stories
Women Hurting Women
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of New York Times
Posted: October 16th, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/opinion/sunday/kristof-wom...
It would be nice to think that women who achieve power would want to help women at the bottom. But one continuing global drama underscores that women in power can be every bit as contemptible as men. Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh, is mounting a scorched-earth offensive against Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank and champion of the economic empowerment of women around the world. Yunus, 72, won a Nobel Peace Prize for his pioneering work in microfinance, focused on helping women lift their families out of poverty. Yet Sheikh Hasinas government has already driven Yunus from his job as managing director of Grameen Bank. Worse, since last month, her government has tried to seize control of the bank from its 5.5 million small-time shareholders, almost all of them women, who collectively own more than 95 percent of the bank. The government has also started various investigations of Yunus and his finances and taxes, and his supporters fear that he might be arrested on some pretext or another.
Note: To sign a petition to the Bangladeshi PM to stop government intervention in this empowering bank, click here. For excellent information on the amazing Grameen Bank and microlending movement, click here.