Vice President Annette Lu attended this evening a gathering for women entrepreneurs of Taoyuan County, and expressed her greatest respect to the participated women entrepreneurs for their longtime efforts and contributions to their careers as well as the country and the society.
The vice president said women have undergone more hardships and tests in their way to success than their male counterparts, and yet they have demonstrated courage and strong will in their quest for success. They, therefore, deserve being proud of themselves as well as the praise of others.
Participants to the event encompassed successful women from all walks of life and covered all ages. To show her admiration to the attendees, Vice President Lu presented them with a book authored by her which detailed how she has assisted President Chen with the use of "soft power." Serving as a vice president and an assistant to the president, she said she knew well the tender attribute of women. She believed that it is women that make families and societies filled with emotions. Women can soften the atmosphere of the families, and can contribute their soft power to the progress and development of societies. This is why the vice president insisted that women maintain their advantage of soft power.
The vice president encouraged women entrepreneurs to strengthen themselves with the soft power of mercy, beauty, wisdom and courage. She said that being pretty is the common desire of women, this, however, should not be confined to physically attraction. Being beautiful should also mean to have a heart that cares and to possess individual characters that are fully developed. These are the true beauty of women. Mercy, wisdom and courage are also the virtues that all women should aim to pursue. Women should shrug off the ancient belief that "it is a virtue for a woman to be without any talent" and invest more in themselves. It is imperative that women should be educated, because to educate a woman is to educate the whole family.
The vice president further noted that the development of women has gained spotlight all over the world, and Taiwan's achievement in women related issues has also been recognized worldwide. Taiwanese women rank the first in political and economic participation in Asia and the second in the world, both of which are remarkable and should be appreciated.
The vice president meanwhile encouraged women business leaders, saying it is essential for women to become informative and to transform the information acquired into knowledge as today's world is one that is based on high-tech and information. A global perspective should also be nurtured to keep up with the times. Furthermore, women should hold on to what is correct confidently and courageously. Vice President Lu believed that with the virtues of beauty, mercy, wisdom, and courage, women are destined to have greater contributions to themselves and the societies.
In closing, the vice president wished that through the concerted efforts of all women, they would break away from being the passive victims of history ("his story") and become active participants in the making of "her story." And together, they would create a history that is participated by women.