Shanghai will host the first Asian session of the influential Women's Forum for the Economy and Society from May 15 to 17 this year.

The Women's Forum Asia aims to be an international platform for the region's leading women to share opinions on major economic, political and social issues.

The event is run by the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society, a global group set up in 2005 to bring together elite women from fields including business, politics and academia.

The Asian forum is expecting over 700 participants, with 350 from China, the organizer said. It will also include 90 top-level speakers from around the world discussing how women are making a difference in Asia's economic and social development.

Growth and sustainability are the themes of the first Asian forum, and participants will get the opportunity to discuss the role of women in Asian economies and societies and how it can be enhanced.

The event is supported by 20 partners and organizers are in the process of signing up more sponsors.

The forum has received funding from some 50 private companies since it was set up in 2005.

The original event has been held for the past three years in Deauville, France. A delegation of 50 women represented China at last year's forum in France.

It was named one of the world's top five most influential forums by the Financial Times in 2007.

(China Daily January 24, 2008)