As we herald in 2013 we pause for a moment to celebrate some of the big accomplishments for women in 2012. We are particularly interested in large national initiatives occurring AT SCALE rather than small pilot projects.

• Eight countries are on track to meet MDG4 and MDG5 by 2015 and these countries are: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Nepal and Vietnam.

• According to the Countdown to 2015 report, Equatorial Guinea, Nepal, and Vietnam have each cut maternal deaths by 75 percent showing the massive declines are possible.