Taiwan backs one-day forum on women’s economic empowerment

THE TAIWAN-BACKED WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PROJECT’S INTERNATIONAL FORUM opened today at the Marriott Resort, St Kitts, with a view to strengthening the economic status of females by providing the necessary resources to support entrepreneurship, through vocational training and counseling.

Taiwan’s Ambassador to St Kitts, Michael Lin in his overview of year-old project said since its formation last year, 200 women benefitted from the vocational training courses; 60 were awarded start-up grants, and 120 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises exposed to counseling under the Women’s Empowerment Programme.
 “We engaged in these efforts in the hope that women will become more financially resilient and a steadfast force in society,” Ambassador Lin said.

The International Forum was guided by the theme, “Towards a New Frontier: Promoting Sustainable Development in the Eastern Caribbean through Women’s Economic Empowerment.”
Several government ministers, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and experts from regional and international organizations were in attendance.

Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew reminded his listeners that women’s empowerment remains high on his government’s agenda.
 “Our decision is based on a number of principles, but the obvious principle is equity and that we understand clearly that there is no difference between the genders. But in addition to that, we know that in St. Kitts and Nevis most of our households are headed by women and therefore when you would have had an event like COVID-19 that would have rocked our economy, like others around the world, one would expect that women will be disproportionately affected, negatively,” the Prime Minister said.

Drew lauded the initiative with Taipei as patron.

“It makes a lot of sense to have a programme like this, especially in St. Kitts and Nevis, targeting women because as this programme empowers women, it empowers the home, it empowers children, it empowers partners, families, communities and the nation on a whole,” PM Drew reasoned.

Among the issue examined were, the link between women’s economic empowerment and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); current trends and challenges in women’s economic empowerment in the Eastern Caribbean; the role of women in global sustainability and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on SMEs financing in the Eastern Caribbean, and the urgent need for a modern credit ecosystem.

 Among those in attendance at today’s event were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Gender Affairs Dr. Geoffrey Hanley; Junior Minister responsible for Gender Affairs, Isalean Phillip; Samal Duggins; Michael Chau-Horng Lin, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan); Saint Lucia’s Minister for Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs, Emma Hippolyte; Ms. Cierra Saylor of the U.S. Embassy in Barbados, and other notable dignitaries.