She was a grocer’s daughter of middle class background, who became one of the strongest yet divisive leaders British modern-day politics has seen. Her qualities, among many others, included decisiveness, conviction, strong belief in individual freedom and hard work. Her leadership also reflected her strong patriotism, which was wounded when Argentina tried to reclaim the Falkland Islands, to which Thatcher fought back with vigor, and won the war as well as the popularity for winning next elections.

Thatcher’s 11-year leadership at 10 Downing Street was not without controversy. Her policies in privatizing much of the state-owned industries and the subsequent rising unemployment, which surpassed 2 million at one point, provoked enormous social unrest and discontent, plummeting her popularity. But she stuck to her conviction based on the freedom of individuals to take responsibility over their own lives away from the micromanagement of the state. She famously said, “U turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning.”

In Barack Obama’s word, “She stands as an example to our daughters that there is no glass ceiling that can’t be shattered”. Two-thirds, or 62%, said her example played an important part in “changing attitudes about the role in society that women can play”. True, she was not a feminist who promoted other women to be in her cabinet, or introduced policies favorable to women in particular. She was an individual who did not let her gender get in the way of her ambitions. For many, she will remain as the inspirational figure who dared to launch into the male-dominated world of politics, became a Conservative party leader, and Britain’s first female prime minister.

BANGKOK, Thailand: Recently Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand held the South East Asia Regional Finals for the Global Social Venture Competition [GSVC].  Amongst 56 submissions, WEDU, a young social enterprise working in the least developed countries in South East Asia to catalyze the leadership development of young women in rural areas to inspire change in their communities, won the competition.  This is the first time since inception in 2007 that GSVC South East Asia Region awarded a company that focuses on women leadership and education.

Thammasat University, partnering with Berkley University in California, organizes the annual GSVC South East Asia Regionals to provide aspiring social entrepreneurs with mentoring and access to capital to have real world impact.  For the past 14 years, GSVC has supported social ventures focused on environment, agriculture or technology solutions to poverty.

This year, for the first time, a company focused on women education won. A judge commented, “Education is so, so important, Wedu needs to happen now, and scale rapidly. This company can’t grow fast enough!”

Co-Founder and Director, Mario Ferro, elaborates, “In countries like Myanmar, less than 5% of parliament is female, with less than 2% in the upper house. The situation is slightly better in Thailand, but women make up less than 16% of parliament.  In business, some say it may take more than 73 years to have equality. I am not going to wait 70 years!”

Wedu started small and aims big. In less than 12-months, they’ve started operations, identified the first  3 young women from rural Cambodia and 2 from Myanmar to support, and have plans to rapidly expand to 1,200 young women in 5 years all across South East Asia.

“We are seeking the next Aung San Suu Kyi amongst our students,” states Mario, “just imagine what social impact these women will have. Endless possibilities.”

Details about the GSVC can be found here: http://www.gsvc.org/

Details about Wedu Fund can be found here: http://www.wedufund.org/

Details about the statistics quoted by Mario Ferro: http://www.businessinsider.com/number-of-women-leaders-will-equal-men-in-2085-2012-11

For more information contact us here  http://www.wedufund.org/contact/

But did you know Bill and Melinda Gates have given away more money than anyone in world history? Not only is the couple rich, they are generous. And much of their wealth goes to people living right here. Fortune, fame, and a successful career in the corporate world are not what make Melinda Gates one of the greatest female leaders in the world; her determination in giving out what she has to help those who are in need and help advancing equity in the world is what we always remember her of.

Melinda was having a successful career in Microsoft as a general manager in the Information Products department when she met her future husband Bill Gates. The two married after a few years dating and Melinda eventually left her job when she gave birth to their first children. Like many women, she made the decision because she felt fulfilling her responsibility as a loving mom was more important. Nevertheless, it did not mark the end of Melinda’s career. She has never thought of wasting her talents and skills, and more importantly, she is committed to positive social impact. She was aware that she could have done more and thanks to her experience in rearing a child, she was inspired to direct her energy toward the non-profit world and that she tried to incorporate the unique perspective as a women and a mother into her work. As Melinda describes, “”It’s a great segue into a different path [because] a lot of skills I learned at Microsoft are absolutely skills I rely on and use [in my humanitarian work]. So I made a conscious choice that when our daughter turned one, I would get back into those interests, those issues, and start learning them.” (Komo News)

Melinda kept the promise she made to herself and she co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with her husband in 2000 with $106 million. She is actively involved in all stages of the decision-making process of the foundation, and she often meets with local, national and international grantees and partners for various projects that target to improve health condition worldwide, to eliminate poverty in some of the world’s poorest regions, to promote education, and to provide technology to libraries. All these are done due to Melinda’s one simple belief: one life on this planet is no more valuable than the next, and so equity is what she has been fighting for throughout these years.

This small thought has grown into a huge motivation to Melinda and it has made the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation one of the largest charitable foundations in the world. In 2005, the couple (along with U2′s Bono) was chosen by Times Magazine as Person of the Year for the charitable work they have done. Lesson here? If you are determined to do something for the people you care and you have a heart to give back to the society, nothing can stop you. Melinda Gates, as a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and mother, is a good example showing how it’s all possible.

If empowering women leaders matters to you, donate for the cause and bring a friend to Wedu’s community. It is still a long way for us to reach our US$25,000 goal and we need your support. Our Indiegogo campaign lays out how we plan to use the funds raised from you. You can contribute not only by donating but also by following our Facebook and Twitter page. Your every little contribution matters a lot to us and to the potential young leaders who are ready to fulfill their potential through higher education and inspiring mentorship. Act now, and become change-makers by supporting Wedu’s crowdfunding campaign!

Angela Merkel, Dilma Rousseff, Yingluck Shinawatra, Joyce Banda… Just to name a few of the incumbent female heads of government around the world. Compared to a century ago, women are gaining importance in both international and domestic politics as they are occupying various important positions in national governments and multilateral organizations. While it seems that more and more female politicians are rising in power, let us not be contend with the status-quo: only one-fifth of the seats in the parliaments are occupied by women worldwide, and the figure in Asia, Middle East and Pacific is even lower than the world average. Women, in today’s world, are still underrepresented in the political arena.

What are the major obstacles that women face in political participation? According to studies, it is a complex issue as it can be traced back to a number of institutional, historical, socio-economic as well as cultural factors. UN Women found that in Bhutan, a landlocked country in South Asia, household responsibilities, low self-esteem, illiteracy, few role models and lower expectations were found as the key reasons that stops women from participating in politics (more). Other countries in the region, such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, are likely to face similar situations.

Education, amongst all other factors, is identified as one of the most important causes of the problem that prevents women’s voices from being heard in government. Girls being forced to stay at home to do domestic work, and missing out on schooling, will have lower self-esteem as a result, one of the factors for low political participation. Furthermore, it is the male-dominated nature of politics in most countries that puts a glass barrier against women trying to enter it. More women need to be empowered to speak up in the public sphere. It creates a vicious cycle that the fewer women are inn politics, the more their needs are being unmet; and the more unconfident they are, the less likely they can voice out their opinion in the government.

The imbalanced gender ratio in political participation is one indicator of gender inequality in society: it obscures a more balanced view on policy and development. Many countries are taking initiatives to encourage women to get involved in politics. For example, the parliaments of Rwanda (case study) and some Scandinavian countries mandate quota for women and it is a crucial step to remove institutional barriers for female political participation. While such efforts should be appreciated and it is true that specific laws or policies can be taken as immediate measures to strengthen the political empowerment of women, promoting and improving female education must go in hand to address underlying gender inequality. If women are entitled the same right to education as men, they will have higher self-esteem and we can trust that they will gain their voice back – and make themselves heard by their people, and even the world.

Thanks to our friends Piktochart we now have an answer!

Do you like it?

One month after the 15-year-old Pakistani education activist, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban, the United Nations called upon the international community to observe November 10 as the International Malala Day. The UN special envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown marked the significance of this event that “country after country is adopting Malala as its symbol for a girl’s right to school [as the] Malala Day is being celebrated with events in more than 100 countries”. It has symbolized that the fight of Malala and 32 million girls more for their basic rights of education will go on, and the world is in solidarity with ensuring education for every single child across the globe.

Malala’s story has touched millions of people. She started writing a blog for the BBC describing people’s lives in her community under the Taliban’s rule – where girls are prevented from going to school because the regime believes girls’ education is an obscenity – and expressing her views on promoting female education at the age of 11. Ever since then she has been a prominent figure for basic education for youth in Pakistan. Her effort in raising voice for female education has brought her both domestic and international recognition: she was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize by Desmond Tutuand has won Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize.

In October this year, the entire world was shocked and angered by the fact that this brave girl was shot in the head just because she wanted to go to school. The Taliban is surely to be condemned, but it is also because of this terrible incident Malala’s story has gained unprecedented media coverage and the education issues in Pakistan has gained international attention: the country spends less than 2.7% of its GDP on education and its official literacy rate is a mere 58 per cent, much lower than international standards (CIA world factbook). As a response, the UN special envoy for Global Education has recently reached an agreement with the Pakistani government that they would work together to draw up a costed plan with a timetable for implementation by next year in order to make sure that by 2015 all school-aged children would be entitled to primary education. Also to pay tribute to the contributions that Malala has made, four new schools, a center for Women’s studies and a postgraduate institute will be established under her name within the Pakistani territory. Moreover, a broad groups of individuals, inspired by Malala’s determination and courage, set up the Malala Fund which Malala herself can direct and use to pursue her visions after she recovers (more). It is the best proof of individuals’ power in changing a nation, and even the world.

In the 21st century, we can no longer tolerate keeping children out of school and certainly no single child should be denied of her fundamental right because of her gender and ethnicity. Malala is a voice of youth, female and humanity and we as global citizens should come together and support what she stands for. If youth education is ensured, a better future awaits ahead.

To know more about Malala Yousafzai and get the latest updates of her status, please visit http://educationenvoy.org/

Why is Wedu crowdfunding, you ask?

Wedu has grown strong, started having impact and with you we can do more!

For more than a year now, Wedu has been supporting the development of Cambodia’s future female leaders by investing in their university education. The specific focus is on women leadership because they are a great investment for development: they invest more in the households, in children, healthcare; and they are often the first to miss out on opportunities across the world! In Afghanistan, for example, the university enrollment ratio is as low as 1:5 (female:male). To date, Wedu has invested in  three Cambodian women to go to university and we are in the process of selecting a few more from Myanmar.

Join Wedu on the Indiegogo Crowdfunding Campaign!

­­To continue this growth, Wedu needs you! Join Wedu’s Crowdfunding Campaign on Indiegogo

“At the beginning I thought we were going to go in these remote areas of the world and bring hope and inspiration. What I have learned is that I have been inspired by these powerful young women, I just can’t believe I didn’t start ten years ago working on this!”

Mario, Co-Founder of Wedu

Why is crowdfunding crucial for Wedu?

In order to support our educational and leadership projects, Wedu has raised funds in a variety of ways, including individual donations (thank you all!),  private investors, partnerships and business plan competitions. Wedu won the D2D Development Award this year as well as earned the title of Social Enterprise Start-Up of the year 2012 at Cambridge University. We have been focusing a great deal on increasing our financial resources, resulting in the recent expansion of our Business Development Team. To continue to build the organization, we believe that crowdfunding will allow us to create a wider community to make critical investments to grow faster, reach more leaders, and implement projects. It is a direct way to support Wedu.

Wedu doesn’t need super heroes, royalty, or movies stars… Wedu needs YOU to become a sponsorship partner! Your involvement (in-kind donations, financial support, mentorship, etc) is the key to making our dream of sponsoring and mentoring future South East Asian female leaders a reality.

Our goal is to raise $25,000 USD to support the South East Asian women’s leadership programme through our crowdfunding campaign launched TODAY on Indiegogo.

Why $25,000 USD? $10,000 will go towards our loan program, providing as many as 25 small student loans for a pilot project. The remaining $15,000 is to develop Wedu’s mentorship and fundraising platforms as well as the research and development for our internal risk management system. With Wedu’s website and social media outreach, the goal is to create an engaging online platform for you to interact!

What do you receive in return for your generous donation and support? The most obvious benefit is that you will provide a young woman with the opportunity to study at university, and benefit from an experienced mentor, giving her the chance to learn and build a brighter future for her and her community. In addition, you will have a variety of perks to choose from, such as…immortality 2.0 (not joking!).

How Can You Get Involved?

1. DONATE! We plan to raise $25,000 USD to support the South East Asian women’s leadership programme and we just launched  our campaign today on Indiegogo
2. Follow Wedu, spread the word to your families and friends through Facebook, Causes, Twitter and LinkedIn. Bring public attention on the importance of having more women in leadership positions in developing countries.
   
3. Give us your valuable feedback and suggestions.

Thank you and see you all at the Indiegogo Crowdfunding Campaign!

This week, in the midst of the American elections, Michelle Obama has been the insatiable supporter of Barack Obama behind the scenes. She juggles between being the wife of U.S. president Barack Obama, mother of two, the 44^th first lady of the states, lawyer, community activist and social rights advocate. Michelle sees part of her leadership role as being a good example to others across the country and that is how she continues to inspire her fellow American citizens as well the wider world.

What makes Michelle a strong leader? She has always held a high level of self-respect and respect for others, seen through her use of words such as decency, integrity, dignity and pride in her speeches. This also explains why despite her political stance as a Democrat, she recognizes and respects the different opinions of the Republicans. Not only does she serve as a role model to young people, particularly young African American women, she also reaches out communities beyond, evident through her commitment to ending childhood obesity and supporting military families.

Michelle encourages young people around the world to work hard and become future leaders. On her trip to South Africa in 2011, she spoke to young African women leaders that “leadership is not limited to age or status in life” (Huffington Post).  She urged the young leaders to be the next generation of problem solvers and to take up the responsibility for banishing hunger and end HIV/AIDS.

Michelle Obama is arguably the most progressive first lady at our times. She is a star in her own right and she defines herself rather than being defined by her president husband – that is what makes her personal story inspirational and thus being able to make an impact on hundreds and thousands of people. We hope to see that more young women, being inspired by Michelle, would become great leaders in the future.

A week ago, the EU decided in the last minute to postpone the vote on a plan to oblige companies to reach a 40 percent female boardroom quota by 2020 as it was deeply unpopular with many of its member countries (CNBC news).

Viviane Reding, the EU justice commissioner who proposed the plan, insists that she “will not give up” on her quest to push the quota plan because she firmly believes that “Europe has a lot to gain from more diverse corporate boards.” Her statement is very true, indeed: reports published by Credit Suisse Research Institute, McKinsey, Deutsche Bank Research and Ernst & Young unanimously points out the fact that companies with a significant number of women in senior positions outperforms those that do not. A study by Goldman Sachs even found that closing the gender gap could boost the euro zone’s gross domestic product by up to 13 percent. The answer is obvious: women are the key to economic success. It is necessary to incorporate the talents of half of the population into the corporate leadership as diversity is essential to better results.

Unfortunately, gender inequality still persists in the highest levels of decision-making in the corporate world: only one-in-ten board members in the EU is a woman, and only 3% of chief executives are female. Progress in the entire Europe has been very slow except in Norway and France, and the only reason for their successes was their legislation on the quotas for female board members in big companies. Legislation is proven to be the most direct and arguably, the most effective way to reach gender balance in the workplace, and it is clear that on this particular issue government involvement is required – or else the business world will only do it at a very slow pace and it might require 50 more years to achieve the same level of gender equality.

The EU is now facing a difficult time in dealing with its economic recession and it is unwise to leave the female talents behind, for the various contributions they can make to the business world. It is therefore high time for Europe to act, not only for improving gender equality as it is the mission of the EU, but also for allowing women to play their part in reconstructing Europe’s economy. The glass ceiling should exist no more, and quotas for females in board room should be legislated as soon as possible – for the good of Europe.