The Abbot Fund, a philanthropic foundation established by Chicago-based pharmaceuticals and health care products company Abbott Laboratories, announced on Thursday a partnership with the US Secretary of State’s International Fund for Women and Girls to empower women in Burma. The fund said it would spend US $1 million over the next two years to support grassroots organizations that are working to advance health, education, and economic opportunity for women in Burma. The fund also provided more than $600,000 in support for relief and recovery efforts after Cyclone Nargis in 2008.