It is my pleasure to invite you to the launching of our new South Asia Initiative, Saturday evening, September 23rd at the New York Hilton Hotel.
As studies show, South Asia suffers the highest levels of childhood malnutrition in the world precisely because women in South Asia live under the worst conditions of subjugation. Given The Hunger Project's commitment to the end of chronic, persistent hunger, we are launching new programs that focus on the issue of women's subjugation and its link to malnutrition.
There is now a new opening to address this condition. New legislation in both India and Bangladesh reserves seats for women in local democratic structures. Despite enormous opposition, women are seizing this opportunity, and are shifting the development agenda of their villages towards health, education and sanitation. They are addressing social evils such as alcoholism, corruption and domestic violence.
It is almost unbelievable – but true – that dehumanizing conditions that have lasted thousands of years are beginning to change, and the key change agents are the malnourished, illiterate village women themselves.
In recent years, The Hunger Project has pioneered new approaches in people-centered development, and developed methodologies for strengthening the ability of women to be change agents in their villages. We are now making the empowerment of grassroots women our highest priority. Last year, we launched our new initiative for the economic empowerment of African women food farmers, and this year we are launching this new initiative for women in South Asia.
Please join us as we launch new programs to strengthen the hand of the courageous women of South Asia. I look forward to being with you on September 23rd.
With warm regards,
Joan Holmes
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