Although women's rights in the Asia-Pacific region have improved significantly in recent years, there are still many unheard voices that must be listened to, and Alia El-Yassir, the newly appointed regional director for UN Women Asia and the Pacific as well as UN Women Representative to Thailand, is making it her mission to do just that.

Bangkok is already on the path to becoming a smart city, the new vice president for the Asia-Pacific of Milestone Systems, a global video management software company, told The Nation in an exclusive interview.