Taiwan sees great potential in women’s entrepreneurship at a time when empowering women has become a global pursuit, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said on Wednesday as he opened a workshop on the topic hosted by Taiwan, Japan and the US.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Women’s Economic Empowerment event, Hsu said Taiwan ranked eighth among Asia-Pacific nations in last year’s Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs.
More than one-third of entrepreneurs leading small or medium-sized enterprises in Taiwan are women and the increasing involvement of women in industries highlights the potential of women’s entrepreneurship in Taiwan, Hsu said.
“Although we have come a long way in advancing women’s economic empowerment, there is still room for progress, both in Taiwan and abroad,” he said. “Promoting women’s rights transcends borders and advancing women’s empowerment is our common task.”
The two-day workshop was part of the Taiwan-US Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), which Hsu also praised.
The framework has institutionalized long-standing bilateral cooperation between the two countries since its launch in 2015 and has served as a multilateral platform allowing Taiwan to contribute its expertise to the region, he said.
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman James Moriarty said it was significant that the framework expanded this year to having Japan cohost some of the workshops.
“The GCTF has quickly emerged as one of our most successful areas of cooperation with Taiwan, and so we are particularly pleased to welcome Japan in co-organizing this important training with us,” Moriarty said.
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