Lotus Circle
Supporting Gender Equality
The Lotus Circle is a vibrant community of committed individuals and organizations supporting our Gender Equality program to strengthen economic, social, and political rights and opportunities for women and girls. By joining the Lotus Circle with an annual gift of $1000 or more, you can help transform the lives of women and girls across Asia and the Pacific.
On this page
What the Lotus Circle Supports
Covid-19 Lotus Rapid Response Fund
The gendered impact of Covid-19 continues to play out across the globe, with acute effects on women and girls, including a dramatic rise in gender-based violence amid quarantines and lockdowns, women’s loss of economic security, increased caregiving demands that fall largely on women, and the increased risks to women of illness as they comprise most of the frontline health and community workers. With The Asia Foundation’s network of country offices and our longstanding relationships with local partners, we’ve identified urgent needs and mobilized quickly in response to what we’re seeing on the ground to get resources where they’re most needed.
The Lotus Leadership Awards
Each year, The Asia Foundation’s Lotus Leadership Awards recognize outstanding individuals and organizations that have made major contributions to advancing the rights and opportunities of women and girls. Proceeds from the gala go towards innovative programs for women and girls across the Asia-Pacific region.
Lotus Circle Highlights
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ABC News Spotlights Lotus Circle Honorees HAkA and The Asia Foundation’s Social Forestry Programs in Indonesia
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Bangsamoro Women’s Movement and Visa and Visa Foundation Honored at 2024 Lotus Leadership Awards
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The Asia Foundation Awards 10 Scholarships for Mongolia’s First Gender Studies Master’s Program
Lotus Circle Advisors
The Lotus Circle Advisors are a group of committed philanthropists and business leaders who provide advice and generous support to The Asia Foundation’s work in gender equality to create more opportunities for girls and women across Asia and the Pacific to improve their lives.
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Alice Young
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Amanda Minami
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Antoinette Mayer
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Debby Carter
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Deshi Singh
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Elizabeth Keatinge Scheideler
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Faye Sahai
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Hee-Jung Moon
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Janet Montag
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Jennifer Cabalquinto
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Joan Cummins
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Kellee Marlow
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Laurette Slawson Hartigan
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Lilly Huang
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Lin Jamison
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Linda Filardi
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Lucy Lee
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Missie Rennie
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Monica von Zadora-Gerlof
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Nobuko Sakurai
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Priya Ghandikota
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Ruth Wilcox
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Smita Pillai
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Stephanie Sun
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Susan L. Beningson
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Swati Bhisé
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Sydnie Kohara
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Tina Kwok
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Umbreen Sheikh
2024 Lotus Leadership Awards Gala
On Thursday, April 25, 2024, we honored the Bangsamoro Women’s Movement, Visa and Visa Foundation at an event in New York City. The Bangsamoro Women’s Movement helped shape the eventual peace agreement by ensuring respect for the rights and interests of women. Visa demonstrates its commitment to women’s economic empowerment through initiatives that feature skills training, mentoring, capital, and networks across Asia and the Pacific.
