The Asian University for Women (AUW) Support Foundation announced on Thursday the launch of a global crowdfunding campaign, #ProgressStartsWithEducation, according to Media OutReach.
The campaign seeks to raise US $150,000, an amount which will allow 10 women to continue their education at the liberal arts university for one year. The campaign launch on International Women's Day is inspired by the worldwide theme #PressForProgress.
"The developing world is faced with such a wide array of challenges, and trying to solve them individually often only provides temporary relief," explained Kamal Ahmad, AUW Co-founder.
"In order to address the problems facing these nations from the ground up, education has to be the starting point. Meaningful, sustainable progress can be achieved when you empower young women to become leaders in their societies."
The anchor of the campaign is a two-minute video featuring current students whom the donation dollars will directly benefit. Hailing from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, the students on the video provide an international perspective on the condition of women around the world, and a look at how incremental progress can be truly monumental in developing nations where AUW draws students from.
AUW has received donations and support from several corporate partners on this campaign, including Point72, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, MetLife and Fiat.