First Lady Receives Award for Women Empowerment in Education

Depok, W Java (Antara) - Indonesia's First Lady Ani Bambang Yudhoyono has received an award from L'Oreal and UNESCO as a leader in the Women's Empowerment of Education. The award ceremony took place at the University of Indonesia during a series of commemorative events of the decade organized by L'Oreal and UNESCO to honor "Women in Science, The World Science Day for Peace and Development." "This award is in recognition of her commitment and innovative contribution towards increasing women and children's living standards in Indonesia," Deputy Director, UNESCO Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Shabaz Khan said on Tuesday. The initiative launched by the Indonesian president's wife had pioneered the transformative power of literacy and education in the country, Shabaz said. Shabaz added that there were three reasons that the award was being presented to the first lady, the first being that she was investing in women and thereby multiplying the effect in literacy and education for women, family and community. Secondly, the initiative was very informative and had allowed women to obtain knowledge and skills to create new opportunities in life. Thirdly, she had placed the sustainability principle as the center of all initiatives making it environment friendly. The Managing Director of L'Oreal South Asia Pacific Pierre Yves Arzel said that his institution had always helped women in science by providing them with the means to build a better world. "Science requires women and we need to encourage more women and science in Indonesia," he stated. (*)