ASHLEY JUDD GOES TO INDIA

is in India for a weeklong trip to promote AIDS awareness.The 'De-Lovely' star, who is representing Population Services International, met with sex workers in Mumbai on Saturday.'The empowerment of girls and women is an essential tool to preventing the HIV/AIDS emergency from exploding any further,' Ashley, 38, told Mumbai's DNA newspaper.India has 5.7 million people living with AIDS, which is the highest figure in the world. The government has launched campaigns encouraging condom use among high-risk groups, such as the 10,000 sex workers on duty in Mumbai.Ashley encourages women to accomplish their goals.Most women have ''dreams for other people, but not dreams for themselves,' she said. 'That is painful.'Since 2002, Ashley has been a global ambassador for YouthAIDS, which helps raise awareness and prevent the spread of the disease. She has traveled to Thailand, Cambodia, Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to spread the word.