Everyone's eyes are on Asia's rise. China, once dismissed as poor and backward, is now the world's second-largest economy. India, with its huge population, scientific prowess and entrepreneurial vitality, is another powerful engine of Asian growth.
Add to this Japan and South Korea's formidable economies, plus Southeast Asia's dynamism, and a picture emerges of rising wealth, confidence and leadership.
Yet, few women in Asia make it to the top. Social norms undervalue girls and women, with sex-selection abortions of an estimated 1.3 million girls per year in China and India alone.