Asian University for Women (AUW) will host a two-day international symposium on 'Overcoming history: Rethinking rights and opportunities for women in Asia' on October 17 in Dhaka, says a press release.

Co-sponsored by John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation, the symposium is part of the university's inaugural event that will culminate with a programme on October 18 at Bangladesh-China Friendship Centre.

Presided over by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, the event is expected to draw many well-regarded experts in the fields of education, women's development arrd te^rona! integration."

Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad

Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank will also be featured at the programme.

Dr Yunus said, “Higher education can be an escalator not only for personal success, but also for the capacity one needs to transform his or her wider society."

"AUW will provide a much-needed avenue for women to empower themselves to become enlightened leaders. By keeping its doors open to women of all socioeconomic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, AUW can indeed veritably demonstrate that no class or group in society has a monopoly on talent."

First Provost and Acting Vice Chancellor of the university Dr Hoon Eng Khoo will speak on 'Preparing young women in Asia to overcome history'.

The symposium will highlight many key issues facihg women

today, including rethinking rights and opportunities for women in Asia, womenomics and ethics, human and economic cost of discrimination against women and success in empowering women.

Zoya Hasan, eminent Indian political scientist and professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Madame Lone Dybkjaer, former first lady of Denmark and former Danish minister of the environment, Mehrangir Zar, Iranian human rights advocate and Human Rights Programme Fellow at Harvard University, Hamida Hossain, rights activist, and Kathy Matsui, member of the board of directors of AUW Support Foundation, will speak on those topics.

Lauren Moriarty, former US ambassador td A 5 ia: Pat if if ’Economic Cooperation (APEC)'will

chair the symposium.

Jyoti Macwan, general secretary of Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) in India, and Shahida Jaffrey, vice chancellor of SBK Women's University in Pakistan, will also address the discussion.

Noted Pakistani documentary filmmaker and journalist Sharmeen Obaid will showcase her work to explore the plights of women and the emergence of women's groups working to expand their rights in Asian and Middle East countries.

Students of the inaugural class of AUW Access Academy, a year-long pre-collegiate bridge programme, representing India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Bangladesh will also present a cultural perfor-Tnance following’the conchrsioh of-the cere’monies.’