Present day issues surrounding fair trade and gender equality draw us to this part of the world. Each of us has traveled through developing countries, exploring remote villages, and witnessing both the great strides taking place and the needs that still have to be addressed in these issue areas.

Our route along the Silk Road will visit foundations working to increase the number of opportunities women and young girls have to gain independence from the cultural limitations they find in this part of the world.

According to the United Nations, economies in the developing world grow by 3 percent for every 10 percent increase in the number of women who receive secondary schooling.

—posted by “InterAction” the American council for voluntary international action.

As an example, we might spend one week with an organization that helps locals cultivate and sell tea and the next week with a foundation that teaches women the secrets of silk farming. Some groups will be devoted to preserving cultural ideals while others will be dedicated to promoting education. Meeting the people and learning about life in this part of the world is going to be the key to unlocking the present day riches of the Silk Road.

We are making arrangements to align our efforts with organizations like UNICEF, Helen Keller International, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, Save the Children, and others to promote international aid for those most in need living in the villages we explore during our journey.

Examples of the organizations we hope to help:

Unicef

Unicef is working in Tajikistan to help encourage the 20% of young girls who are missing school to stay at home and help their mothers with housework with life skills-based education.

Unifem

Unifem is working to teach formal medical care to women throughout Tajikistan (the poorest of the former Soviet republics) so they can provide basic medical care to the people living in their remote villiges.

Mercy- Corps

Mercy- Corps works to send the message that women are the foundation of every society and yet for many women in the world's poorest regions, life is extraordinarily difficult. Through innovative health, agricultural, business and education programs, Mercy Corps builds on the courage and resourcefulness of women to help them realize their potential and improve their families and communities.

Kyrgyz proverb

An old Kyrgyz proverb claims that "a frog-headed (stupid) man is better than a golden-headed [intelligent] woman." It is tempting to suggest that the proverb reflects the overall attitude toward women in Central and South Asia. Gender stereotypes and discriminatory legislation continue to hinder women's ability to pursue careers in politics, business, and many other fields. Nonetheless, hope remains. For example, an unprecedented number of women have taken up seats in Afghanistan's new parliament. In the first of a four-part series on Women and Power in Central Asia, RFE/RL looks at the status of women in the region.