In a bid to tap the full potential of female entrepreneurs, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA, 外貿協會) is this year for the first time organizing a trade promotion delegation exclusively composed of female entrepreneurs.
The delegation is scheduled to visit Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia as part of TAITRA’s efforts to help women better explore foreign markets and gain a greater role in Taiwan’s foreign trade in line with the government’s policy and a WTO declaration, TAITRA said.
The three countries are covered by the government’s New Southbound Policy, which has been implemented by the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) after she assumed office in May 2016, to boost two-way trade and investment with countries in Southeast and South Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand.
Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia were selected simply because relatively few promotions have so far targeted them, TAITRA said.
If satisfactory results are obtained, more delegations of female entrepreneurs will be formed to explore other overseas markets, TAITRA’s Market Development Department head Chiu Hui-li (邱揮立) said.
The Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment was launched in a WTO ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires in December 2017 so that members can collaborate on making trade policies more gender-responsive, share experience to encourage women’s participation in trade, and collect data to better understand connections between trade and gender.
It was the first time in the WTO’s history that its members and observers endorsed a collective initiative to remove barriers for women and foster their economic empowerment.
In 2018, there were 1.466 small and medium-sized businesses in Taiwan, around 37 percent of which were owned and run by women.
INDIGENOUS EXECUTIVES
Meanwhile, TAITRA is also seeking to organize a delegation of indigenous businesspeople to visit New Zealand, based on an economic cooperation agreement inked by the two countries in 2013.
Last year, products manufactured by Taiwanese Aborigines were showcased for the first time at the Te Papa Museum in Wellington for two weeks, paving the way for future exchanges, according to TAITRA.
Products made by Taiwanese Aborigines were also displayed last year at Taiwan Expos in other countries covered by the New Southbound Policy, and such exhibitions will continue into this year at the Taipei International Food Show in June, Kaohsiung Food Show in October, Foodex Japan 2020 in March, and FHA-Food & Beverage Asia 2020 in Singapore from March 31 to April 3, among others, it said.
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