New York City, NY November 14, 2003 --The Asia Society is hosting a Citigroup sponsored panel discussion on Nov. 20, titled, โ€œEmpowering Women in Asia: The Urgent Need for Higher Educationโ€ to discuss the establishment of the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh, and the critical need for making higher education more accessible to women in Asia.
Women represent half of Asia's burgeoning population. Yet throughout much of Asia, and South, Southeast and West Asia in particular, girls and women have traditionally been caught in a cycle of disadvantage. They are valued less as members of their communities and little is invested in developing their individual talents and potential. Nevertheless, study after study irrefutably indicates that when women are educated and participate in important decisions about their own lives and the lives of their families, quality of life improves. In basic ways, women's contributions affect national prosperity.
Economic development is a critical issue in Asia today, for the well-being of its citizens, as equal partners in an increasingly interdependent global economy, and to assure social progress and peace in the region and the world.
Panelists will focus on the role that higher education plays in improving prospects for women and, by extension, social and economic equity in the region. They will discuss the experiences of women's universities in Asia, the urgency for making higher education more accessible for women in the 21st century, and the prospects and challenges for establishing the new Asian University for Women.
The panelists include: Hanna Holborn Gray, President Emeritus, University of Chicago; Sang Chang, President Emeritus, Ewha Womans University, South Korea, and former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea; Patricia Licuanan, President, Miriam College, Philippines and Chair of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing); and Stephen J. Friedman, Chairman, Asian University for Women Support Foundation. The moderator Vishakha Desai is Senior Vice President, and Director of the Museum and Cultural Programs, Asia Society.
Stephen J. Friedman, Chairman of the Asian University for Women Support Foundation stated, โ€œGiven our current global situation, it is so important to raise awareness in the United States about the transformative economic and social effects investing in women's education and leadership capacities can have at the local and national levels. We are immensely pleased with the enthusiastic international support we have for establishing the Asian University for Women.โ€
For more information:
http://www.asian-university.org
Contact: kdasgupta@asian-university.org
Phone: (212) 493-3996