Her Excellency Rossana Briceño Special Envoy for the Development of Families & Children Exhibition of Achievements

Women Empowerment Project (Taiwan)

President Tsai Ing-Wen, Secretary General Lin, Foreign Minister Wu, Minister Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Ambassadors, Excellencies, Government Officials, Distinguished Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to welcome you to today’s event and to thank you for supporting women’s empowerment and the fight for gender equity. It is clear that promoting and protecting Women’s Rights is a critical objective that our two nations share.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) has been at the forefront of women's empowerment, and we applaud the efforts of the Taiwanese government and its people in advocating gender equality. Taiwan has made remarkable progress in ensuring that women are represented in all sectors of society, including in government, education, and business.

In addition, Taiwan has been committed to supporting the development of Latin American and Caribbean countries. Belize’s experience was shared along with the experience of other allied countries in the Empower Women! Empower LAC! Forum which was held on February 15 of this year in Taipei. Taiwan has always valued our relationship with this region, and we have made great strides in working together to promote shared prosperity and development.

In Belize, we are appreciative of partnering with Taiwan as this has given us the opportunity to provide training, tech-

April 4, 2023

nical assistance, and resources to support the empowerment of women and girls through Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund.

Thanks to this friendship and partnership, many women entrepreneurs countrywide have benefited through the project entitled “Enhancing the Economic Empowerment of Women in Belize in the COVID-19 Post-Pandemic Era. Technical Assistance for Women's Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Financial Inclusion”.

Through this project, the Government of Taiwan is supporting Belize’s response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on economic growth and sustainability. It is well known that the pandemic affected many Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, especially women-owned businesses which represent 66% of all businesses operating in Belize. This is why women's empower- ment is not only the right thing to do but it is also good for business; it is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

The Women Empowerment Project promotes women’s entrepreneurship and social inclusion through financial and technical collaborations with relevant national institutions and Taiwanese experts. Many women-led businesses and projects aiming to promote women’s empowerment have benefited from extensive professional and vocational training, business incubation programs, financial relief counseling, and a national network for MSME support.

Some of these women-led businesses are: Alejo’s Golden Plantain Chips, Elisa’s Fabric, C’s Ingenious Creations, E’s Closet, Lasting Impression, Dude Car Wash, House of Gains Gym, Angel Wings, ZZ’s Pizzeria, Oshanz Detox, Jayla’s Tutus, and Yessi’s Cuisine, which represented us at the Empower LAC! Forum.

This project, in collaboration with BELTRAIDE, has also benefited 5 women-led seaweed businesses in Placencia: Seaweed, Powa Productions, Fruitful Belize, Sea Gold Essentials, and Mother Nature Enterprise. Seaweed farming provides a source of income and food to coastal communities while simultaneously benefitting the ecosystem by absorbing carbon dioxide emissions. This makes the seaweed business sustainable and an excellent tool in the fight against climate change.

The investment and cooperation by Taiwan in women's empowerment have led to the creation of more opportunities for women in the workforce, and in turn, this has led to economic growth and prosperity in Belize. These gains have been significant, and they can be reflected in the growth of our music industry. With this project, Taiwan has also supported 5 talented women musicians: Mellonie Gillet, Jackie Castillo, Ms. HoneyDee, Denise Castillo, and Chanelle Parks.

The beneficiaries that I have just mentioned are just a few of the many women that have benefited from the Women Empowerment Project. We are truly grateful for Taiwan’s support and partnership.

I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm Belize's allegiance to our strong partnership with Taiwan. Our two countries share many common values, including a deep commitment to freedom and democracy, human rights, and women’s empowerment. We also share a vision of a peaceful and prosperous nation, and we stand ready to work with our esteemed partner and ally, Taiwan, to identify new areas of cooperation to achieve this vision.

We are honored to have President Tsai here with us today, and we look forward to hearing her thoughts on how we can work together to further promote women's empowerment and women-owned businesses.

I am confident that the friendship and cooperation between our two countries will continue to thrive in the years ahead. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to President Tsai and the people of Taiwan for their generosity and kindness.

Once again, I would like to extend a warm welcome to everyone, and thank you for being part of this memorable event.

Visit of President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)