Unlock the leadership potential of women in Asia by providing mentorship and scholarships to complete higher education and become change-makers in their communities. We currently serve over 300 Rising Stars and as we scale up to reach our goal of supporting 1,000 by 2018, we are fundraising to provide more scholarship funding and leadership development than ever before.
Women in many Asian countries face enormous barriers to higher education, often because of inadequate financial support. Study shows that when educational opportunity and resources are scarce, women are less likely to get them. Approximately 74 women are enrolled in tertiary education for every 100 men in East and South Asia (UNESCO Institute for Statistics). We want to change this statistic by raising scholarship funds for high-achieving women with leadership potential.
Wedu works with local partners based in communities across Asia who help us identify young women with strong leadership potential, with a preference for women from underserved communities. Upon acceptance to the program, young women ('Rising Stars') receive lifelong mentoring from a committed mentor and are eligible for educational financing to complete their university education in Asia.
As our Rising Stars graduate and become leaders within their communities, they are encouraged to give back by becoming mentors to the next generation of Rising Stars and continuing the cycle of mentorship and leadership. At Wedu, we believe that investment in women's leadership not only empowers women, but also has a multiplier effect on improving the development of communities and countries as a whole.
