Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment Webinar: The post-COVID world offers new models of economic justice and empowerment for women

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach – 22 March 2021 – Organized
by Taiwan’s Foundation for Women’s Rights Promotion and Development and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with support from the Taiwan Economic and Cultural
Office in New York, the Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment Webinar,
which was held on 18 March, focused on policies and programs to help women
achieve equality in the post-pandemic future.

Speakers of
the Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment Webinar.

 

“Women are
bearing the brunt of the COIVD-19 crisis,” said Denise Scotto, vice president
of the International Federation of Women in Legal Careers, as she opened on Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment Webinar.

 

However, the new models of working
from home, and greater access to technology and the internet may point to how
the gender divide can be bridged.

 

This was the message conveyed by
speakers at the Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment webinar, which took place
parallel to the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women and during
Women’s History Month celebrations.

 

Headlining the event, Taiwan’s
digital minister Audrey Tang discussed how to make the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality work in Taiwan. 

 

Tang pointed out that Taiwan is
the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, equal pay day has come down to February 20, and over 41% of legislators in Taiwan’s parliament are
women. 

 

Taiwan’s first transgender
minister also testified that she had never suffered discrimination in her job.
However, there are still areas where Taiwan has much to do. “Less than a
quarter of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) students in tertiary education are women,” said Tang. 

 

Taiwan’s achievements in controlling
the pandemic have been well documented. But one aspect that has not been widely
reported is the gendered aspect to disease control.

 

Tang highlighted the example of a
Taiwanese boy who was teased for coming to school with a pink mask when medical
supplies were being rationed. The boy called the government hotline to
complain, and the next day the health minister and his top officials all wore
pink masks during the daily press briefing. 

 

Tang said, “The health minister
said it was fine for a boy to wear pink, and added that his favorite cartoon
character was the Pink Panther.” 

 

Technological advances are also
helping level the playing field for young women, said Tang, sharing one
initiative against plastic straws started by a 16-year-old Taiwanese woman.
“She didn’t have to wait until she was 18 or join a political party,” said the
digital minister, adding, “more and more young women and men are looking into
e-participation and co-creation across sectors to create their own
initiatives.”

 

The Swedish minister for gender
equality’s state secretary Karin Strandås focused on applying a gender
perspective to government policies and budgeting. “We must also focus on the
role of men and boys as drivers for change,” said Strandås, “Men and boys in
all their diversity must be part of transforming gender norms and
inequality.” 

 

Responding to the pandemic,
Strandås said, “It is about building a better world and a better future for
everyone.” Although it is possible for men to take as much parental leave as
women, Sweden has yet to achieve full equality in the workplace. “Reforms are
necessary for women to enter the labor markets,” said Strandås.

 

Strandås noted the link between
economic inequality and domestic violence. “It is harder to leave a violent
relationship if you are dependent on your partner,” the state secretary said.

 

Taiwan’s ambassador at large Lin
Ching-Yi spoke about the role of women in law making. “The more female
participation there is in politics, the more gender-based policy making there
will be,” said Lin. 

 

Talking about the danger women
face on the frontline of the pandemic as nurses and cleaners, Lin said she was
initially worried for their safety. Thankfully, Taiwan’s success in pandemic
control has largely been down to gendered policy making. “All policies are
based on gender equality,” said Lin, “so only ten nurses have been infected
with COVID-19 in Taiwan.” 

 

Other speakers shared their
experiences in advancing women’s economic rights and independence, investing in
women’s empowerment, and supporting marginalized women to earn, save money, and
improve their health and wellbeing. 

 

Algene Sajery,
vice president of the Office of External Affairs at the US International
Development Finance Corporation, outlined the Women’s Initiative which has
catalyzed more than US$7 billion of investment in projects that are owned by
women, led by women, or provide a product or service that empowers women.

 

Iliriana
Gashi, executive director of Kosova Women 4 Women, talked about her organization’s efforts to finance women
economically affected by the pandemic, working together with the government and
international corporations to help women running small businesses.

 

Giving rights
and more economic power to women is good for men too. “We are one human family,
both men and women,” said Scotto, “so all of humanity is empowered by
empowering women.”

 

Concluding the
session, Lin said after the pandemic, global society will face new norms. There
will be an opportunity to build different economic models through the internet
or community models, and create new ways for women to participate equally.