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Leadership Program Transforms Lives of Asian-American Women
December 13, 2000
Gannett News Service, Dinah Eng
This article praises the founding of the Asian Pacific American Women's Leadership Institute (APAWLI). Traditional Asian culture does not typically encourage women to be assertive. In fact, socialization can often sabotage Asian-American women in their professional lives.
Five years ago, Martha Lee, a Chinese-Latina and former program director for the National Hispana Leadership Institute, set out to change this. With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Lee brought together a small group of Asian-American women for a leadership training group.
Diane Wong, a program participant, praises the program:
'The program gives us a chance to develop our skills and wisdom as leaders…We look at the base of our power, and we talk about leadership in the context of our gender and culture. We look at our childhoods, our relationships and our families. It's very spiritually oriented.'
APAWLI offers leadership training and a fellowship program through which participants are required to develop a two-year impact project. The project must transform the lives of at least 25 people in some measurable way.
"Asian-American women aren't often seen as leaders in the corporate or government sector. But never underestimate the power of unproven individuals," writes Eng.
"Because of groups like APAWLI," concludes Eng, "women will never remain in the background again."
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