The Belizean embassy in Taiwan yesterday launched an exhibition in Taipei to celebrate Belizean culture and womanhood to mark International Women’s Day on Wednesday next week.
The “Belize Culture Month and Women’s Month” exhibition, which highlights Belizean literature, art that celebrates women and art made mostly by women, opened at the National Central Library, where it is to run until the end of this month.
Belizean Ambassador to Taiwan Candice Pitts said at the opening ceremony that the celebration of women and culture should be observed daily throughout the year.
Photo: CNA
“The celebration of culture is an important vessel through which we can celebrate women,” Pitts said.
As this year’s International Women’s Day theme is embracing equity, and one of the theme’s commitments is highlighting female creatives and their artistic work, Pitts said: “The simultaneous celebration of culture and women is not only natural and possible, but also important and fitting.”
“You will also view artwork mostly by women, and artwork that celebrates women. The commissioning of these artworks also provided economic opportunities for these women and families,” Pitts said.
Pitts also presented table runners made by an indigenous Mayan woman from Belize, Martina Pop, to a group of women from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or connected to the ministry.
“In observation of the 2023 International Women’s Day, I gift each of you a Mayan table runner especially made by Belizean indigenous Mayan women, and I do hope that wherever or however you use this table runner — on your desk, in your office, on your social media — that you would help us to highlight the artistic talents of Belizean indigenous Mayan women,” Pitts said.
Pitts also acknowledged women in the audience for their contributions to families, communities, societies, nations and the world.
“We also thank you for participating in the acknowledgement and celebration of your sisters. For you know, when one of us makes it, all of us make it; when one of us is celebrated, all of us are celebrated,” the ambassador said.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Tah-ray Yui said at the ceremony that Taiwan is committed to working closely with Belize and other diplomatic allies to implement the “Assisting the Economic Empowerment of Women in Latin America and the Caribbean in the Post COVID-19 Era Project.”
The initiative focuses on providing technical assistance, professional training and financial support to women who wish to start a business, Yui said.
“It is crucial that our nations keep working together toward a more equitable society, where all women have the opportunity to reach their full potential,” Yui said.
Measures have been taken to minimize damage from Chinese espionage, the Ministry of National Defense said on Monday, in response to an alleged plan to deliver a Chinook helicopter to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. The Chinese-language CTWANT magazine earlier in the day reported that a lieutenant colonel surnamed Hsieh (謝) was approached by Chinese officers with an offer to evacuate his family to Thailand in the event of a cross-strait conflict. In exchange, Hsieh was asked to fly a CH-47F Chinook helicopter to a Chinese aircraft carrier in the Taiwan Strait, the magazine said. Hsieh initially declined, but accepted after he was
SAFETY IN REGULATION: The proposal states that Chiayi should assess whether it is viable to establish such a district and draft rules to protect clients and sex workers The Chiayi City Council passed a motion yesterday to assess the viability of establishing a regulated red-light district. The council yesterday held its last session of the year, at which its fiscal 2024 budget was approved, along with 61 other proposals. The proposal to assess the viability of establishing a red-light district was put forward by independent Chiayi City Councilor Molly Yen (顏色不分藍綠支持性專區顏色田慎節). The proposal cited 2011 amendments to the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法), which stipulate that city and county governments can pass autonomous regulations on the sex trade to manage the industry and guarantee industry workers’ rights. A ban on the
STABILITY AND CHANGE: Flagging in recent polls, Ko this week pledged to maintain President Tsai’s foreign policy, with an emphasis on improving China relations Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday reiterated that he is “deep-green at heart” in response to accusations that he is pivoting his campaign to align closer with the ideology of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the face of flagging polls. Ko made the remark at an agricultural policy conference in Taipei, repeating his comments from an interview with CTS News a day earlier. Ko told the CTS host that he would continue to pursue President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) national defense and foreign policy in general, but with an emphasis on establishing a rapport with
CHINA illness surge: Of 88 travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macau with respiratory symptoms who were encouraged to get tested upon arrival, 70.6% had the flu Two hundred and sixty people with COVID-19 were hospitalized and 31 deaths related to the virus were reported last week — the highest numbers in four weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that cases are expected to peak next month. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said that of the 260 people hospitalized last week with moderate to severe COVID-19, 98 percent had not received the Omicron XBB.1.5-adapted COVID-19 vaccine. Among the people hospitalized this year, 78 percent were aged 65 or older, while most of the those who were hospitalized or died have or had