Taiwan-US workshop on empowering women leaders gets underway in Taipei

2018/12/12

The workshop Achieving 50-50: Empowering Women Leaders in the Indo-Pacific Region kicked off Dec. 10 in Taipei City, bringing together 30 experts, officials and representatives from 14 countries to discuss best practices and share experiences.
 
 Jointly hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and American Institute in Taiwan and organized by Taipei-based Foundation for Women’s Rights Promotion and Development, the three-day event is staged under the Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperation and Training Framework.
 
 Attendees at the opening ceremony included MOFA Vice Minister Tsao Li-jey, AIT Director Brent Christensen, Marci Hodge, a senior policy adviser at the U.S. Department of State, and former Rep. Pat Schroeder, the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress from the state of Colorado.
 
 In his remarks, Tsao said the GCTF spotlights the robust partnership between Taiwan and the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific and their shared commitment to enhancing collaboration on global issues. It is hoped that the workshop will help promote women’s participation and leadership in the public and privates arenas, while strengthening social development across the region, he added.
 
 Christensen praised Taiwan as a model for empowering women to engage in and spearhead the political process. Few countries in the region have achieved as much in working toward equality in leadership positions, he said, citing the election of President Tsai Ing-wen and the nearly 40 percent female representation in the Legislature.
 
 The GCTF is a key platform for highlighting and sharing Taiwan’s strengths and expertise with the rest of the world, Christensen said, adding that Taiwan’s democratic development and international contributions are deserving of the global community’s recognition and respect.
 
 According to the MOFA, the workshop is the fourth staged by Taiwan and the U.S. under the GCTF this year and the third to date on women’s empowerment. Since the initiative’s inception in 2015, a total of 14 events have been organized on topics spanning disaster relief, e-commerce, education, energy, environmental protection, humanitarian assistance and public health.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=2&post=146871)