Empowering the Women of Asia (photos)

The Asia Foundation, Seven (Wisdom Quarterly)

Asia Foundation : Multimedia : Empowering the Women of Asia

In recent decades, Asia has experienced transformative economic growth and reform. And women have made significant advances in gender equity, political participation, and personal security.

• An unprecedented number of women ran in Afghanistan's recent parliamentary elections.
• Nepal's prime minister declared 2010 the "year to combat gender-based violence."
• The Philippines now ranks 9th among nearly 200 countries in gender equity.

But challenges remain: Women still make up the majority of [the world and] Asia's low-skilled and highly vulnerable workforce. Many Asian countries are both the primary sources and destinations for the victims of trafficking. Others remain trapped in a cycle of illiteracy, poverty, or ill health, lacking the means to raise themselves and their families out of it.

• The Asia Foundation's Women's Empowerment Program seeks to identify change agents, create new political and economic opportunities for women, build constituencies for reform, develop leaders, increases women's rights, and ensure their personal security. More
• JOBS: Work for the Asia Foundation

All are dear. Let light join our voices.