Asia Initiatives (AI),
an international nonprofit organization that leverages social capital to
promote sustainable development, hosted its 16th Annual
Gala
at the New York Athletic Club.
During the event,
the eighth
United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
presented the Award For Women’s Empowerment
to
Gloria
Steinem,
Eva Haller
and
Yue-Sai Kan.
The award was instituted in Mr. Ban’s name to honor the
Secretary General’s important contributions to women’s issues,
including his role in the creation of the UN Women department,
the establishment of the first High-Level Panel on Women’s
Economic Empowerment and his work reducing the gender wage gap
within the UN itself, increasing the number of women
in senior management by over 40 percent.
“It is such an honor for me to be able to properly recognize
these amazing women. During my tenure as Secretary General, I
always worked to make women’s empowerment a top priority and I
can see that Asia Initiatives is carrying on that legacy”
Mr. Ban said.
Gloria Steinem
has been a icon of the American feminist movement since the
seventies. She founded Ms. Magazine in 1972, co-founded New York
Magazine, travels extensively to give lectures and serves as a
frequent media spokesperson for feminist issues. Steinem’s
recently published memoir, My Life On the Road,
is a New York Times Bestseller.
Eva Haller
is a Hungarian-American philanthropist. She participated in the Hungarian
resistance movement in World War II as a young girl and now
serves as a mentor on the boards of numerous nonprofits,
including AI, Women For Women International, Free the Children
and the Jane Goodall Institute.
Yue-Sai Kan
is an entrepreneur and Emmy-winning Chinese American television producer
and host, hailed by People Magazine as the ‘most famous woman
in China.’
She is extensively involved in humanitarian efforts to build
libraries and schools for underserved communities in China and
serves as a ‘Say Yes’ Ambassador to the UN.
“This evening celebrated the breakthrough accomplishments
of these three women as well as the hard work of women and
families lifting themselves out of poverty.
"The Gala honored Mr. Ban and our awardees, but we will also
honor the hope and tenacity of thousands of women who
participate in our projects,”
Geeta Mehta, AI President and co-founder, said.
www.asiainitiatives.org
Asia
Initiatives:
Asia Initiatives is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
headquartered in New York and founded in 1999. AI has
implemented its innovative Social Capital Credits (SoCCs) method
in India, Kenya, Ghana and the United States. SoCCs are a
revolutionary currency for social good that empower communities
to take leadership in their own development. Thousands of women
and their families have benefited from AI programs, from rural
farmers in Maharashtra, to unemployed women in Washington DC, to
market vendors in Ghana.
|