Too often in Asia, the handicapped are hidden away from public view, as if we were ashamed of their very existence. Since the 1985 auto accident that left Wu Shu-chen confined to a wheelchair, however, Taiwan's First Lady has refused to become a shut-in.

Wu, 51, has campaigned vigorously by the side of her husband, Chen Shui-bian, since he began his fight for democracy in Taiwan. "I am not the kind of person who hides and sheds tears in the dark," she says. "I fight against hardship in life." Wu raises awareness about the disadvantaged through charities and fund raisers, while serving as the benevolent face of her husband's beleaguered administration. President Chen might be politically handicapped these days, but he will always have Wu to lean on.

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