Remarks by Deputy Minister Paul Wen-liang Chang at dinner for GCTF workshop on building a bright future for women entrepreneurs in tech
November 15, 2017

Deputy Associate Administrator Eugene Cornelius;
Deputy Director Robert Forden;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;

Good evening!
It is my great pleasure to host this dinner. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I extend a very warm welcome to all of you. Since tonight is meant to be a casual networking event, I promise I will keep my remarks short.
We are very happy that so many experts and government officials from 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific participated in our workshop to promote women’s entrepreneurship in the technology sector. Women are still vastly underrepresented in this sector, and often receive lower salaries and fewer promotion opportunities compared to their male colleagues.
Therefore, it is very important that we strive to close the gender gap in tech. This workshop has facilitated discussions on how to effectively do so. Many of our outstanding female entrepreneurs have shared their stories with you. They serve as excellent examples of what Taiwan has achieved in empowering women in the tech sector.
I want to thank the Foundation of Women’s Rights Promotion and Development and the American Institute in Taiwan for working with our ministry to make the workshop possible. This event marked the ninth Taiwan-US collaboration under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, which aims to boost capacity building through training programs and information sharing. We have received positive feedback from participants in previous events, and remain firmly committed to cooperating with countries in the region to tackle emerging issues.
Once again, welcome to Taiwan. We very much look forward to working with you and your respective governments in the future. Thank you!