Tuesday was International Women’s Day and thousands of women in many Asian countries rallied in support of themselves and their sisters worldwide:

Among leaders of the [Multan, Pakistan] rally was Mukhtar Mai, a woman who was gang-raped in 2002 on orders by a council of villagers near Multan as punishment for her brother’s alleged affair with a woman from a higher caste family. Mai drew international attention after she spoke publicly about her ordeal. . . .

In mostly Muslim Bangladesh, where women lead the ruling and main opposition political parties, thousands joined calls for an end to attacks with flesh-burning acid that leaves hundreds of women disfigured each year. . . . In the Indonesian capital Jakarta, hundreds more women marched against a proposed anti-pornography bill that would also make the baring of legs or shoulders in public a crime.

As you can see, women all around Asia still face numerous barriers in their quest for gender equality. Lets hope that as Asian countries continue their gradual march toward modernization and democracy that the women in those countries share equally in such political, economic, and social gains and measures of progress.