Asian women have been stereotyped throughout history as submissive and inferior to men. In many Asian historic accounts, mostly highlighted were the heroic acts of men. Few, if there were any, tell about the contirbution of women in various social aspects as politics, health, business and education. But at the turn of the century, these descriptions had been a thing of the past. Sharing the international spotlight with men of today, are famous Asian women partaking in politics, arts and business.

Who had not heard of Asian leaders Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma and Corazon Aquino of the Philippines? They took on fearless battles with military rule for their country’s democracy, bidding their private and peaceful lives goodbye. Gaining not just domestic but international support and respect as well, they have influenced the change that their countries need.

Asian women also gained international popularity for their good performances in hollywood films. Names like Lucy Liu and Michelle Yeoh are known alongside famous English-speaking actors. Playing major roles in Charlie’s Angels and Tomorrow Never Dies, respectively, Liu and Yeoh showed how versatile and world-class Asian talents are.

In the world of business, Asian women are also becoming influential. In the 2009 Forbes.com’s 100 Most Powerful Women, a number of Asian women were listed. Ho Ching, chief executive of Temasek Singapore and India’s ICICI Bank chief executive Chanda Kochhar graced the list at number five and 20 respectively. Other Asian business women and leaders from Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Philippines and Singapore also joined the list.

Indeed, Asian women has transformed from their shy and submissive personalities to aggressive, bold and even powerful individuals in the world today. From being in-charged of the domestic chores, they have now took on the challenge of caring and protecting the interests of the much bigger world.

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