National Youth Commission chairwoman Lin Fang-mei
"I hope more and more women make use of the commission's resources to help them seek jobs or start enterprises," said Lin, a feminist, at her first news conference since becoming a Cabinet member.
According to a report by the commission's first department, which provides guidance to young entrepreneurs, the number of male entrepreneurs obtaining low-interest loans is double that of female entrepreneurs.
Over the past three years, 69 percent of young men who applied for business loans were awarded one, on average worth about NT$2.5 million, while only 31 percent of young women who applied received the loans.
"The data shows that not many women benefit from the commission's services, therefore I look forward to shrinking the gender gap in the next two years," Lin said.
Other officials have pointed out that a gender gap also exists in the commission's efforts to assist those with Masters degrees in finding employment.
The commission's third department is responsible for giving employment assistance. Third department chief Lai Mao-nan
However, Lin said, 35 male elites entered the business sector with aid from the commission, while no female elites took advantage of this service.
"Fortunately, we had almost an equal number of male and female elite candidates find work with research institutes, but we are worried that no women entered the business sector through this channel," Lin said.
She added that "this result may reflect women's lack of access to the commission's information or their lack of interest in business."
However, Lin said that she would use any means possible to help enhance the commission's ability to aid women."
Lin, a sociologist who previously worked at National Chengchi University, is a well-known and active feminist.
Lin has held positions in many groups that focus on feminist issues, such as the Awakening Foundation
She also drafted President Chen Shui-bian's
Lin said her goal as head of the commission was to transform the neglected body to an active research unit which could aid the administration and the Cabinet.
When asked whether the commission would be dissolved in the reshuffling and reform of the Cabinet, Lin said she doesn't think it will be.
But she added that refreshing the commission by developing new issues, promoting new ideas and forming new policies should be a major part of the plan, Lin said.
For example, the commission would take responsibility for encouraging young people to participate in volunteer services to better appreciate the community to which they belong.
"The so-called `volunteer services' are not limited to charities or labor services. I want to enlarge its scope to establish a more participatory democracy. In other words, the commission will encourage young people to participate in the decision-making process within their communities, which will help form a stronger civil society, " Lin said.
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