Related Posts: Women’s Empowerment

In The News

Pakistan’s Elections Give Grounds for Hope

May 15, 2013

These were the elections which many did not expect to see in Pakistan. Despite persistent and widespread rumors right up until the actual day of elections that they would be cancelled or postponed, Pakistan’s General Elections took place as scheduled on May 11. Around 50 million citizens took part in this historical event…

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Notes from the Field

The Most Dangerous Job in Afghanistan?

April 10, 2013

When the Afghan government quietly appointed Shah Bibi Saeedi to what may be the most dangerous job in Afghanistan, it was an easy decision: she was the only person who had dared to apply. On Saturday, the 44-year-old doctor became the new director of women’s affairs for the eastern province of Laghman.

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Notes from the Field

Gender-Based Violence Still Presents Greatest Need in Nepal

March 27, 2013

Gender-based violence (GBV) affects nearly half of women in Nepal, according to a recent survey by The Asia Foundation. The results of the survey, included in a recent field report from Asia Foundation program officer and Give2Asia’s field advisor to Nepal, Diana Fernandez, showed that 48 percent of women…

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In The News

Where are Malaysia’s Women Politicians?

March 13, 2013

Malaysia’s 13th general elections must be called by June 2013. After the ruling Barisan Nasional lost its two thirds majority in the 2008 elections, the big question in the minds of citizens and political parties is whether BN will recapture its majority or lose further ground to the opposition.

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Featured

New Report on Women SMEs Launches at United Nations

March 6, 2013

On Monday, March 11, 2013, The Asia Foundation and the U.S. Department of State launched a new report, Access to Trade and Growth of Women’s SMEs in APEC Developing Economies, at the United Nations in New York. The report reveals that while women’s contribution to economies is increasing, persistent barriers exist that limit the ability [...]

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Notes from the Field

Despite Rapid Modernization in Vietnam, Survey Reveals Gender Bias Persists Among Youth

March 6, 2013

In Vietnam, a remarkable 95 percent of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 have access to the internet, with social networking growing so rapidly that Vietnam is Facebook’s fastest growing market in the world, with an estimated 8.5 million users, according to a We Are Social report. No doubt, rapid economic growth in the past two decades has contributed to tremendous social transformation in Vietnam, while global integration and the communications revolution have connected young Vietnamese to outside information and views like never before. Despite these trends, a brand new survey reveals that traditional gender roles remain deeply embedded in Vietnamese society and institutions, permeating work, home, and the public arena.

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Notes from the Field

Bangladeshis Join V-Day’s One Billion Rising to End Violence Against Women

March 6, 2013

For International Women’s Day, the UN declared 2013 a “time for action to end violence against women,” as the theme of the annual global event. In the lead up to IWD, on February 14 tens of thousands of events were held in 207 countries across the globe…

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Notes from the Field

Cambodia’s Women Local Leaders Take Charge

March 6, 2013

This year, the Cambodian Ministry of Women’s Affairs’ 5-year strategic plan, known as the Neary Rattanak III, which aims to ensure gender equality for women, comes to a close. While serious obstacles remain, women have made great strides in Cambodia, particularly in the area of political participation.

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In The News

New Sexual Assault Laws in India: Only the Beginning

March 6, 2013

The violent attack on a young woman in New Delhi last December, and the nationwide protests that followed, were yet another indication that India’s youth are increasingly fed up. This case, piled upon countless other commonplace incidents of sexual violence directed at women and children throughout the country…

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SLIDESHOW

SLIDESHOW: Barriers to Women in Business

March 6, 2013

The UN estimates that the Asia-Pacific economy would earn $89 billion every year if women were able to achieve their full economic potential. Economically empowering women builds better educated, healthier families and stronger communities, and decreases poverty.

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