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On March 14, President Tsai Ing-wen attended a luncheon with members of the foreign diplomatic corps to celebrate International Women's Day. In remarks at the event, President Tsai noted that Taiwan has been actively working with other like-minded countries to establish mechanisms to promote gender equality, and pointed to Taiwan Gender Equality Week as a key platform for highlighting our progress in empowering women. The president expressed hope that we can together realize a world free of discrimination, and said she looks forward to even closer cooperation with like-minded partners in the future.
A transcript of President Tsai's remarks follows:
It is wonderful to see you all here today. First, I want to thank Ambassador [Jasmine Elise] Huggins and Representative [Jenny] Bloomfield for once again organizing this luncheon. Even though International Women's Day was last week, it is my pleasure to join you all today to celebrate, and to thank you for the outstanding examples you set for women and girls, both here and around the world.
With your courage and hard work, and the support of our partners in the international community, Taiwan has become a leader in promoting gender equality and empowering women, ranking number one in Asia and number six in the world. Whether it is in the government, civil society, the business world and other fields, I am proud to see more and more women breaking barriers and playing key roles. But there is still progress to be made, and barriers to overcome in Taiwan, in our region, and in the world. That is why we should continue to learn from one another, as we forge ahead with engagement and cooperation to reach our goals.
For example, Taiwan has been actively working with Australia, the US, Japan, and other like-minded countries, establishing mechanisms such as the APEC Women and the Economy Sub-fund and the 2X Women's Initiative to facilitate efforts to achieve gender equality. And through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, Taiwan has partnered with countries such as the United States, Japan, and Australia to hold quite a few seminars on women's empowerment in the past few years.
Moreover, as we learn from the experience of others, Taiwan is also eager to share our experience with the world. The Taiwan Gender Equality Week is one key platform for highlighting our progress in empowering women, and for raising awareness on how this progress is linked to climate justice, sustainable development, and other shared priorities.
In challenging times like now, women continue to inspire us with their courage and resilience. Women's achievements in the face of adversity serve as evidence of what is possible when we overcome gender norms. So, I want to encourage you all to support the #BreakTheBias campaign. Together, we can realize a world free of discrimination, where ability and competence, not gender, determines one's opportunity and path.
Lastly, I want to thank all our like-minded partners for supporting Taiwan's endeavors toward gender equality, and I look forward to even closer cooperation in the future.
In addition to St. Christopher and Nevis Ambassador Huggins and Australian Office Representative Bloomfield, those in attendance at the luncheon included Council of Indigenous Peoples Deputy Minister Afas Falah (林碧霞), American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Sandra Oudkirk, Marshall Islands Ambassador Neijon Rema Edwards, Honduras Ambassador Eny Yamileth Bautista Guevara, Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office Executive Director Tania Berchem, Malaysian Friendship and Trade Centre President Sharon Ho Swee Peng, Belize Ambassador Candice Pitts, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman, Tuvalu Ambassador Limasene Teatu, and Palau Ambassador Dilmei Louisa Olkeriil.
