In the hill state of Uttarakhand, traditionally marginalized women have formed their own cooperative and are producing processed food items that rival multinational brands in local markets, reports IPS News. Limited by the remoteness of their state, social conventions, and often illiteracy, the women of the region have largely been left out of developmental processes. The cooperative has empowered its members and instilled them with self-confidence, as one woman says:

“I had no self-worth. I just looked after the domestic chores and had no say in decision-making matters in the household. Today, I operate the machines at our processing center, carry out money transactions and have become a popular face at the local bank.”

Now entrepreneurs, the 250 women who form the collective, or self-help group, “have been engaged in community-based activities for over two decades now,” according to IPS News. The women train one another, lifting up the next generation and encouraging sustainable farming and economic independence. In large cities like Delhi, where there is a demand for organically grown products, there is high demand for the women’s produce. Contributing a share of their earnings to a collective fund, the women work collaboratively and invest in educational efforts to enhance their marketing and trading skills.

INDIA: Hill Women Form Cooperative, Turn Entrepreneurs -IPS News

The Jakarta Globe reports that women in Papua are being forced out of their homes as a result of mining expeditions led by the government. In a nation where women struggle for economic independence, Papuan women largely live from their land, and are now threatened by forced evictions. Heidi Maeka, who works for a Women’s Support Group, says that the women are at an added disadvantage because of a lack of adequate education, partly due to the remoteness of Papua:

“Many of them don’t finish school…They are unable, for instance, to write up a good proposal to start up a small business.”

Maeka and her organization plan to set up an informal school “to provide women with basic education and technical skills to sustain livelihoods.”

Women in Papua Continue to Suffer- The Jakarta Globe

The Supreme Court in Burma has announced that Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal will be reviewed on January 18, reports VOA News. Democracy activist Suu Kyi has been detained by house arrest for 14 years, and is appealing the August decision of the lower court to impose an additional 18 months of house arrest on Suu Kyi. Human rights advocates and world leaders including Secretary of State Clinton and President Obama have expressed their support for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, calling for her immediate release and concrete steps towards democratic reform in Burma.

Burma’s High Court Sets Date for Suu Kyi Trial -VOA News

A Woman among Warlords: the Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice is Malalai Joya’s powerful eyewitness account of life in Afghanistan. Joya made international headlines when, at twenty-five years old, she stood up at a meeting of her country’s newly elected constitutional assembly and passionately denounced the war criminals among them. Two years later, she was elected Afghanistan’s youngest Parliamentarian, and her struggle became the subject of the acclaimed documentary Enemies of Happiness. Despite being one of the most popular MPs in the country, she faced constant harassment and was suspended in 2007. Her supporters believe Joya was suspended for her persistent criticism of warlords, drug barons, and their cronies in government.

Prior to her political career, Joya was raised in the refugee camps of Iran and Pakistan. She organized underground classes during the Taliban regime, hiding books under the burqa she was forced to wear, and also helped establish a free medical clinic and orphanage in her impoverished home province of Farah. In her book, Joya recounts daily acts of resistance by the long-suffering Afghan people, including families that lend their basements as classrooms for female students; men who step forward to prevent women from being punished by authorities for walking alone; and courageous women who take to the streets in protest. She emphasizes ordinary Afghans’ desire for powerful war criminals to finally be brought to justice.

Her message is clear:  only after Afghans are freed from decades of civil war and occupation, and corrupt fundamentalists are no longer allowed to tyrannize them with impunity, will Afghanistan have a genuine democracy.

According to Joya, women continue to suffer as they did under the Taliban, only now with higher rates of suicide and abduction and total impunity for rape. She notes that even though nearly a third of the lower house of Parliament is composed of women due to a quota, few have publicly supported women’s rights. Joya has said that many of these MPs are supported by warlords who intend to intimidate independent women in order to dissuade them from running for office.

Joya has survived four assassination attempts to date, is always accompanied by armed guards, and can only sleep in safe houses, yet she continues to be an outspoken advocate for her people.

“How can a country improve when 50% of its population is silenced? It is like a bird with only one wing.”

– Malalai Joya

Site: Malalai joya

On December 12, The Somaly Mam Foundation, Acting for Women in Distressing Situations (AFESIP), and world-renowned anti-human trafficking activist Somaly Mam will join the Cambodian nation in observing National Anti-Human Trafficking Day. In an effort to raise awareness of the crisis of human trafficking in Cambodia, Somaly will commemorate the day by holding a press conference with the Minister of Women’s Affairs, among other senior officials of the government.

For more information, visit AFESIP Cambodia.

Vital Voices Global Leadership Award honoree and Member of Parliament Mu Sochua of Cambodia works closely with DEVI, a coalition of women’s organizations working for social change, economic justice, and the elimination of gender-based violence. The women of DEVI recently welcomed representatives from Vital Voices in Phnom Penh, proudly showcasing products such as hand-woven silk scarves made by the women with the support of a microcredit program. DEVI recently launched a blog to inform all of the organization’s work and progress.

Read the DEVI Blog.

Malayapinas knows all too well the political violence that has often engulfed the Philippines. In an entry written for World Pulse, she shares her reaction to the election violence that left 21 dead and 22 missing on November 23 in Maguindanao. Malayapinas is an award-winning Voices of Our Future citizen journalist correspondent for World Pulse. She writes:

“And so, the ultimate hope for us Filipino people is ourselves, holding on to the belief that we as a people can make social change even in the darkest years of our history.”

Read the full article: My Cry from the Islands of Blood- World Pulse

A report recently released by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reveals that “women are facing growing challenges in public life and have limited access to justice,” as IRIN Asia News reports. Norah Niland, head of UNAMA’s human rights unit, says that setbacks regarding women’s rights are inhibiting the nation’s development:

“It is unrealistic to anticipate significant socio-economic progress when half the population is denied, or unable to participate in, poverty reduction, reconstruction or development projects.”

The number of women working in the government is “steadily decreasing,” as is the participation of women in elections. Alarming literacy rates indicate that up to 90 percent of women in rural areas cannot read or write. Gender-based violence continues to be widespread, reports UNAMA, and impunity remains a central challenge to the protection of human rights and the preservation of the rule of law.

Afghanistan: Public space “shrinking” for women - UN official -IRIN Asia News

In his first trip to Asia since his inauguration, President Obama broke the silence of the United States and stated his support for the release of Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

During a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Alliance (ASEAN-10) on November 15, President Obama called for the release of Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. Additionally, Obama stated that the government should work to end stop human rights abuses and cooperate with opposition and minority groups in order to enhance the country’s democratic system.

Speaking in Tokyo Japan on November 14, Obama stated, “Despite years of good intentions, neither sanctions by the United States nor engagement by others succeeded in improving the lives of the Burmese people.”

“So we are now communicating directly with the leadership to make it clear that existing sanctions will remain until there are concrete steps toward democratic reform,” he said.

Obama urges Myanmar to free democracy leader Suu Kyi- CNN

The story of Rekha Kalinda, the young girl in India who refused marriage in order to continue her education, is one of inspiration.

Although the legal age for marriage in India is 18, Rekha was just 12 years-old when her parents informed her she would be pulled out of school and married. In India, the prevalence of child marriage leads to a cycle of poverty and low education levels, especially for girls.

Rekha’s controversial act of defiance against her parents gained international attention, but with the support of her teachers, classmates and government officials, she was able to convince her parents to call off the wedding.

Today, Rekha is a child marriage activist and gives lectures in neighboring communities with her classmates. Due to her efforts, there were no child marriages in her village this year.

Girls Refusal to Be Child Bring Inspires Nation- ABC News