U.S.-Backed Program for Women Entrepreneurs Opens in Taipei
A U.S.-funded training program for female entrepreneurs has opened in Taipei, touting the country's progress in gender equality in the region. But some groups say there's a long way to go for women in the workforce.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Rattan baskets, preserved snacks and handmade goods.
00:05 These are products being sold by female entrepreneurs from around the Indo-Pacific region.
00:10 They're at the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs' Women in Tech Summit, an event to celebrate
00:17 a training programme for female business owners.
00:20 Women here are networking and sharing ideas.
00:23 "In the business world, most of the business is male.
00:27 So we exchange ideas about how to manage our companies, how to balance and coordinate
00:33 when we're dealing with clients or the market."
00:36 The US State Department established the Academy in 2019, with the goal of giving women access
00:42 to the knowledge and networks needed to start successful businesses.
00:47 Taipei joined the group in 2021 and has since built a network of female entrepreneurs in
00:52 the country.
00:53 "We've provided training and networking opportunities and 205 women entrepreneurs
00:59 have graduated from the programme."
01:02 But despite the event touting Taipei as a beacon for female entrepreneurship in the
01:06 region, some labour groups say women here still face issues such as sexual harassment
01:12 in the workforce, which makes them less likely to start their own businesses.
01:17 And even among those who do, many are left balancing family and work responsibilities.
01:23 "Besides sexual harassment issues, most women also encounter the difficulty of combining
01:33 their work and their care responsibilities because in Taiwan, still many, like labours
01:42 concerning house chores and caring are still considered the responsibility of women but
01:49 not men."
01:50 They say more awareness about sharing these burdens is needed, and more resources to help
01:56 look after children and the elderly are essential.
01:59 So as women celebrate their entrepreneurial successes in Taiwan, it's just the start
02:04 of a long road to equality in the workforce.
02:08 Luffy Lee and Laurel Stewart for Taiwan Plus.
02:11 [ Silence ]