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Summaries of Presentations made at the 12th APEC Women Leaders’ Network Meeting
Keynote Speeches:
Title: Challenges for women leaders - 
PDF [31kb]
Speaker: Hon Julie Bishop MP, Federal Member for Curtin (former Minister for Education, Science and Training, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues)
Synopsis: This presentation discussed the economics of being female. It stressed that women are becoming more important in the global marketplace and not just as workers, but as consumers, entrepreneurs, managers, and investors. However, women still experience gender discrimination that limits their opportunities to grow as business leaders. The presentation concludes that gender discrimination ultimately limits the capacity of the global economy to grow.
Title: Women and global challenges
Speaker: Amanda Ellis, Head, IFC GEM, World Bank Group, Australia
Synopsis: In this presentation, the global challenges and opportunities facing women in business were discussed. A range of global partnerships were examined, including the World Bank Group Gender Action Plan and the Global Banking Alliance for Women. Reference was also made to the Millennium Development Goals. The presenter emphasized the importance of equipping women to move into leadership roles in their respective communities so they can, in turn, have strong, sustainable futures.
Title: Women and strengthening capacity - HTML Version
Speaker: Catherine Livingstone, Director, Telstra Corporation, Macquarie Bank, Australia
Synopsis: This presentation highlighted four fundamental conditions for fostering social and economic sustainability. These conditions include intellectual capital; health; a systems-based approach to business and public policy; and the application of a systems-based thinking to imminent social dislocations associated with climate shifts. The presentation concluded that implementing these conditions will necessitate an examination of Australia’s governance structure.
Title: Business challenges to build sustainable futures
Speaker: Jillian Broadbent, Director, Reserve Bank of Australia
Synopsis: This presentation examined the macro-economic perspective to sustainability. It argued that the health of both society and the economic environment are necessary platforms for business success, and have a strong influence on the capacity of business to build a sustainable future.
Title: Information communications technologies e-capacity building for small to medium enterprises - PDF [103kb]
Speaker: Tracey Fellows, Managing Director, Microsoft Australia and New Zealand
Synopsis: This presentation discussed some of the inhibitors to women in business, and how these inhibitors impact on the aspirations of women to lead or start their own businesses. The presenter then examined areas where technology can be an enabler of opportunity for everyone, both in business and in seeking better equality.
Title: Strengthening the capacity of business to meet the challenges of climate change - PDF [25kb]
Speaker: Ziggy Switkowski, Chairman, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Synopsis: This presentation reviewed the nuclear fuel cycle in the context of low emission energy technology and pointed to the potential role of nuclear power in Australia’s energy and climate change strategy. Demand for electricity, and energy in general, is expected to double by 2050. The challenge is to supply this growing demand in an environmentally responsible way. The presentation concludes that nuclear power should play a role in helping Australia meet its energy demands in an environmentally responsible manner.
Plenary Speeches:
Title: Welcome to the Official Opening of the 12th APEC WLN meeting - PDF [15kb]
Speaker: Hon Julie Bishop MP, Federal Member for Curtin (former Minister for Education, Science and Training, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues)
Synopsis: The Hon Julie Bishop MP welcomed delegates to the 12th APEC WLN meeting.
Title: Opening speech at the 12th APEC WLN meeting - PDF [23kb]
Speaker: His Excellency Michael Jeffery, Governor General of Australia
Synopsis: The Governor General of Australia officially opened the 12th APEC WLN meeting. In this presentation, the Governor General indicated that Australians should strive towards creating a satisfying, as well as sustainable and prosperous future. The presentation concluded that the global challenge of climate change impacts on other issues such as trade, education, rural industry, entrepreneurship, and information and communications technology.
Title: Report on the 2006 11th Women Leaders’ network meeting
Speaker: Mme Nguyen Thi Oanh, Vice President, Vietnam Women’s Union, Vietnam
Synopsis: This presentation reported the outcomes of the 11th WLN Meeting held in Hanoi, Vietnam from 18 – 22 September 2006. The main theme of the 2006 WLN meeting was “Towards a dynamic community: Enhancing the competitiveness of women’s businesses for a sustainable development and prosperity.” The presenter reported that the main outcome of the 2006 WLN meeting was the mapping out of the journey for WLN’s development in the 2nd decade.
Title: The Women Leaders’ Network of APEC: A vision for the future - PDF [928kb]
Speaker: Andrina Lever, President, Lever Enterprises, co-founder and past chair of the Women Leaders’ Network Canada
Synopsis: In this presentation, a comprehensive introduction to the history, purpose and achievements of the Women Leaders’ Network (WLN) was provided. The speaker discussed her role in helping establish the organisation and outlined the areas in which WLN will be actively involved in the future.
Title: The Women Leaders’ Network: Then and Now - PDF [19kb]
Speaker: Heather Ridout, Chair of the 12th APEC Women Leaders’ Network Meeting, Chief Executive of Australian Industry Group
Synopsis: The presenter, as Chair of the 2007 APEC Women Leaders’ Network, explained that the WLN continues to play an important role in helping women expand from areas such as education and health, and influence hard-edged economic and technical issues.
Title: Gala Dinner presentation - PDF [19kb]
Speaker: Hon Julie Bishop MP, Federal Member for Curtin (former Minister for Education, Science and Training, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues)
Synopsis: This presentation provides a useful summary of the first two days of the meeting.
Title: Closing speech of the 12th APEC WLN meeting - PDF [19kb]
Speaker: Hon Julie Bishop MP, Federal Member for Curtin (former Minister for Education, Science and Training, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues)
Synopsis: This presentation summarised the events of the 2007 WLN meeting, reminding participants that the need to fully capitalise on both sexes is the only way the competitive potential of APEC economies will be fully realised. The presenter also commended the success of the lead-up event to the WLN meeting, the Women in Export Day. it was noted that this was the first time the Women Leaders’ Network has held
Title: Strengthening capacity workshop report - PDF [164kb]
Speaker: Hon Justice Annabelle Bennet AO, Judge of the Federal Court of Australia, Pro-Chancellor of the Australian National University
Synopsis: This report argued that education is at the heart of strengthening capacity and ensuring sustainability. The report discussed various ways in which education enables women to take advantage of basic opportunities to which they are entitled and to which they wish to seize.
Title: Information and communications technology workshop report - PDF [134kb]
Speaker: Dr Patrice Braun, Deputy Director of the Centre for Regional Innovation and Competitiveness
Synopsis: This report canvassed the outcomes from the third APEC Digital Economy for Women, which was held as a lead-up to the 2007 WLN meeting. The consensus from the Digital Economy Forum was that to build a sustainable e-future, strategies and programs are needed that provide women with ITC competencies, as well as trade and entrepreneurship support. The report concluded that there are complementary roles for APEC, government, business, universities, and women’s organisations that can assist women to adopt ICT to access markets.
Title: Women and trade workshop report - PDF [124kb]
Speaker: Ms Jenny Mathews, Director General, Department of Local Government and Regional Development (former State Manager of the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), Western Australia)
Synopsis: This report explained that APEC economic growth has created a wealth of new trade opportunities, both for goods and for services. Consequently, women must be positioned to take advantage of these opportunities so they can grow their own businesses through export, and thereby contribute in a more important way to the economic growth of the region. The report discussed ways in which women can position themselves to enter export markets.
Title: Global challenges workshop report - PDF [129kb]
Speaker: Ms Sam Mostyn, Group Executive for Culture and Reputation of Insurance Australia Group Limited
Synopsis: This report discussed some of the potential ramifications of climate change for the APEC economies. The report notes the urgency of the climate change challenge, the need to act now, and the importance of being realistic about the scale and complex nature of this challenge. Climate change presents APEC economies with complex, interrelated and urgent challenges such as recovery from natural disasters; rebuilding critical infrastructure; the management of displaced people; the potential shortage of skilled workers and trained people, particularly women engineers and health workers; and the unpredictability and volatility of our weather system.
Title: Business workshop report - PDF [161kb]
Speaker: Ms Alison Terry, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs, General Motors Holden
Synopsis: This report noted that groups of women work in a different manner to groups of men. Women work with a sense of optimism, they collaborate, they solve problems, and they support each other in addressing challenges and working on opportunities. The report also discussed the need to recognise that women in business have differing needs and make differing contributions according to the scale of the businesses they operate in, whether it be micro businesses, SMEs or large businesses.
Title: Presentation of the Statement and Recommendations of the 12th APEC Women Leaders’ Network meeting - PDF [211kb]
Speaker: Heather Ridout, Chair of the 12th APEC Women Leaders’ Network Meeting, Chief Executive of Australian Industry Group
Synopsis: In this presentation, the Chair of the 12th APEC Women Leaders’ Network presented the Recommendations of the 2007 WLN meeting. The recommendations were described as being practical, real and outcome oriented.
Panel Speeches:
Title: Challenges for women leaders
Speaker: Hon Marjory LeBreton, Leader, Senate and Secretary of State (Seniors), Canada
Synopsis: This presentation discussed key initiatives undertaken by Canada in advancing the status of women. The Canadian Government believes that promoting women’s participation in all aspects of the life of a nation is essential in improving women’s status and well-being within society. The presentation concludes that the future of societies across the world depends on empowering women at all levels of society to participate in decision making and to be leaders and role models for others.
Title: Challenges for women leaders - PDF [22kb]
Speaker: Hon Lianne Dalziel, MP, Minister of Commerce, Minister for Food Safety and Associate Minister of Justice
Synopsis: This presentation discusses a perception in New Zealand that there are no longer any challenges to women’s leadership in New Zealand. This is the result of women holding all the top constitutional positions in New Zealand—Prime Minister, Governor General, Chief Justice and Speaker of the House of Representatives. However, the presenter argues that New Zealand must still overcome a number of issues in order to make the gains women have achieved sustainable for the long term.
Title: Women and leadership - PDF [16kb]
Speaker: Hon Mei Yueh Ho, MP, Chairperson, Council for Economic Planning and Development, Executive Yuan, Chinese Taipei
Synopsis: This presentation discusses the barriers to women achieving leadership positions in Chinese Taipei. Paradoxically, even though the Vice President of Chinese Taipei is female and the ex-Vice Prime Minister is female as well, female leadership is still quite weak. The presentation concludes with a discussion of ways to help women achieve leadership positions in Chinese Taipei.
Title: Women involved in business and trade: Strengthening our community, building a sustainable future
Speaker: Hon Magdalene Toroansi, MP, Minister for Women, Religion and NGOs, Autonomous Bougainville Government, Papua New Guinea
Synopsis: The speaker provided a brief history of the creation of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and the role women can play in effecting political change. It was explained that women played a major role in finally bringing peace to Bougainville and setting up the civil governance infrastructure to manage peace. The importance of networking and sharing resources was also discussed.
Title: Strengthening the capacity of business to meet the challenges of climate change - PDF [515kb]
Speaker: Sam Mostyn, Group Executive for Culture and Reputation of Insurance Australia Group Limited
Synopsis: This presentation discussed the impact of climate change on business. It examines the way in which the insurance industry has already been affected by climate change. The presentation then discussed efforts women are making to counter the impact of climate change.
Title: Energy diversity and emerging technologies for the automobile industry - PDF [963kb]
Speaker: Alison Terry, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, GM Holden Ltd Australia
Synopsis: The need was discussed for the development of new, more diverse, more secure, and cleaner energy pathways that do not rely on petroleum. The speaker concluded there is no single solution to the complex challenge of supplying long-term sustainable mobility. GM Holden’s innovative approach to finding solutions to address the issues of energy security and climate change was also examined.
Title: Strengthening the capacity of business to meet the challenges of climate change
Speaker: Judith Stewart, Managing Director and CEO, Great Barrier Reef Foundation
Title: Global warming and women
Speaker: Ann Phua, President/Founder, Hemispheres Foundation, Singapore
Synopsis: The short and long-term impacts of climate change on society were examined in this presentation. The presenter introduced the Hemispheres Foundation, a Singapore-based company. This company has taken a range measures to increase awareness in Singapore of both the dangers of climate change and what people can do to help combat the effects of the process.
Title: Large corporations and global challenges - PDF [321kb]
Speaker: Vicki Gordon, SVP Corporate Affairs, The Americas, InterContinental Hotels Group, United States
Synopsis: The presenter discussed the global challenges that large corporations face, such as natural disasters and political/social problems. Large corporations with offices or branches around the world tend to face multiple issues much of the time, and this presents a significant challenge to the resources of corporations. However, the presenter argued that enterprises have an obligation to address social and political problems and assist those experiencing a natural disaster.
Title: Improved economic status of women - PDF [188kb]
Speaker: Sun-Hee (Sunny) Lee, Director, AusAID, Australia
Synopsis: The presentation made a number of suggestions on how to improve women’s positions and eliminate gender inequality in the workplace. The speaker advocated for the development of a supportive infrastructure for women and used the Vietnam Enterprise Law as an example. The presentation concluded with a discussion of the key focus areas of AusAid’s gender policy.
Title: The gender dimensions and challenges of labour migration in the Philippines within the context of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
Speaker: Myrna T. Yao, Chairperson, National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, Philippines
Synopsis: This presentation discussed the challenges of climate change, trade liberalisation and human security. The growing trend towards the feminization of labour migration was highlighted. The presenter also discussed the inadequate policies of some APEC economies on the acceptance of foreign workers.
Title: Strengthening the capacity to develop skills to meet economic challenges
Speaker: Ahn Yoon Jung, President, Korean Women Entrepreneurs, Korea
Synopsis: This presentation argues that the future of the world economy depends on women’s participation. This is because the competitiveness of individual economies depends on the level of participation of its women in both society and the workforce.
Title: Women in export: Exporting services
Speaker: Nona S. Ricafort, Ph.D, Commissioner, Commission on Higher Education, Chairman, Philippines Federation of Business and Professional Women, Philippines
Synopsis: The speaker encouraged women to investigate exporting products and services globally. An explanation was then given of how to identify a viable export business, how to choose a product or service and how to create a business plan. The presentation concluded with a description of the exporting services environment in the Philippines.
Title: Strengthening capacity for women engineers - PDF [35kb]
Paper: Climate change - The role for engineers - PDF [110kb]
Speaker: Dr Marlene Kanga, National Committee for Women in Engineering, Engineers Australia
Synopsis: This presentation discussed the skills shortage in Australia’s engineering sector. This was described as one of the most important issues facing the engineering industry, and is likely to impede Australia from meeting future economic challenges. The presentation outlines a number of recommendations to increase the skills capacity within the engineering sector in Australia.
Title: Building the capacity for skills development - PDF [16kb]
Speaker: Andrina Lever, President, Lever Enterprises, co-founder and past chair of the Women Leaders’ Network Canada
Synopsis: This presentation discussed the need for increasing education budgets within the APEC economies in order to facilitate capacity building for women. Education and science should be taught in a fun, exciting and involved way. The presentation recommends that one of the roles for women should be to enforce and encourage education.
Title: Micro multinationals - PDF [21kb]
Speaker: Barbara Bauer, President, GlobalSight Partners
Synopsis: The speaker discussed micro multinationals as a particular segment of small and medium-sized enterprises. It was explained that in the software and technology fields, the ‘micro multinational’ is emerging as a strong and active segment of small businesses. The presenter suggested that the WLN look at the small and medium enterprise segment and in particular, consider developing a capacity-building ability.
Title: E-capacity building for small to medium enterprises - PDF [430kb]
Speaker: Chi-Fen (Nana) Wang, Director of Information Management Center, Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Chinese Taipei
Synopsis: This presentation made the argument that e-business is a viable approach for women in business. The speaker pointed out that e-business is a long-term learning process that depends on people to establish the right concepts for adopting and implementing technology in companies. Small to medium enterprises need problem-solving and ICT capabilities in addition to driving forces.
Title: E-capacity building for small to medium enterprises
Speaker: Anne McKevitt, Head, Ami-Group Enterprises, Australia
Synopsis: The presenter discusses her experience in establishing a business that operates around the world, twenty four hours a day. In establishing this business, the presenter had to develop computer skills and came to realise the importance of integrating technology into business.
Title: New women’s leadership in information and communication technology
Speaker: Dr Kio Chung Kim, Executive Director, APEC Women’s e-Biz Centre, Korea
Synopsis: This presentation argues that a new paradigm is needed to assist women in adapting to the rapid rate of technological change. This paradigm should focus on women’s leadership and continuous innovation in information and communication technology (ICT). The presentation then describes digital training courses provided to women in Asia.
Title: Women contributing to strong and sustainable futures
Speaker: Irina Gorbulina, President, Russian Academy of Business, Russia
Synopsis: This presentation gave an overview of the women who are in leadership positions in Russia. The speaker argued that Russia is the world leader in terms of the percentage of women holding managing positions. A description of the Russian Academy of Business was also given.
Title: Business challenges to build sustainable futures - PDF [21kb]
Speaker: Dr Chonchanok Viravan, International President, BPW International, Thailand
Synopsis: This presentation examined the issue of international migration. The presenter argues that female migrants face discrimination on two levels—as women and as immigrants. The presentation concludes that people must work together through organisations such as the United Nations to solve this issue.
Title: FEPP — let’s all start with one
Speaker: Lau Ka Shi, Women’s Commission, Hong Kong, China
Synopsis: The presenter described the working environment in Hong Kong for women. The Hong Kong Labour and Welfare Bureau has recently released an important policy initiative - the Family-friendly Employment Policies and Practices (FEPP). These policies and practices are provided by companies and organisations to help employees balance the demands of work and family life in Hong Kong.
Luncheon Dialogues:
Title: Issues for Indigenous leadership
Speaker: Dr Kelvin Kong, Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Australia
Synopsis: The presenter discussed his experience as Australia’s first Aboriginal surgeon and Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. His decision to become an ear, nose and throat specialist was influenced by a desire to address the high rates of ear and eye disease in Australia’s Indigenous communities.
Title: Health and wellbeing - PDF [109kb]
Speaker: Dr Manny Noakes, Senior Research Dietician, CSIRO Human Nutrition, Australia
Synopsis: This presentation discussed Australia’s current eating culture. It advocated that women are ideally placed to provide solutions to dietary problems as it is women who have insights as the providers of food. The presentation concluded with twelve tips for health and well-being.
Workshop Speeches:
Mirage ballroom 1:
Title: Establishing the roadmap of women’s e-business and its activation in Korea
Speaker: Dr. Yong Ja Kim, Executive Director, Asian Pacific Womens Information Network Center, Korea
Synopsis: The presenter discussed the potential business opportunities for women through using e-business. An explanation was then given of the purpose and effects of e-business, the need for training, and the obstacles to successfully using e-business. The presentation concluded with a snapshot of how Korean women have set up e-businesses.
Title: Steps to the global value chain - PDF [65kb]
Speaker: Dr Lorna Wright, Director, Schulich School of Business, York University, Canada
Synopsis: This presentation examined the various ways that businesses can incorporate internet technology into their business practices. It discusses the positive and negative points of tools such as e-applications, e-finance, and online e-payments.
Title: E-business case studies from Singapore
Speaker: Irene Boey, President, Singapore Business and Professional Women’s Association (SBPWA), Singapore
Synopsis: The presentation discussed an initiative of the Singapore Business and Professional Women’s Association to develop an e-business program enabling women to sell and market their products and services globally. The program also encourages women to draw on each others’ skills and knowledge to create greater value for participants. The presentation concluded with the introduction of an e-business forum that enables participants to better understand e-business, learn technology tips from experts, and share experiences with entrepreneurs on the challenges and benefits of having an online store.
Title: For the elimination of the gender gap in the economy and the practical use of information and communications technologies - PDF [237kb]
Speaker: Masako Hiramatsu, Executive Manager, Cable Person’s Inc, Japan
Synopsis: The presenter advocated for the need to create a database about women working in Japan’s financial sector. Such a database would include details on how many women in Japan hold executive roles in large companies and small-to-medium enterprises. The presentation highlighted the need to increase opportunities for women in business that relied on information and communications technologies (ICTs). Education, support for new users, and monitoring and evaluation systems are required for business women utilising ICTs. The presentation concluded that using ICTs may help eliminate the gender gap in wages and help women participate more fully in decision making in Japanese businesses.
Title: Women and IT for economic empowerment and HRD- PDF [1,408kb]
Speaker: Cho Jung Ah, Executive Director, Gyeonggi Women’s Development Centre, Korea
Synopsis: The presentation discussed a number of educational programs run by the Gyeonggi Women’s e-learning Center in Korea that aim to economically empower Korean women. In particular, the Center focuses on developing the ICT capacities of Korean women.
Title: How information and communications technologies assists now and in the future in Chinese Taipei - PDF [2,338kb]
Speaker: Meili Hsiao, How Information Communications technology assists Now and in the Future in Chinese Taipei, Deputy Director, Institute for Information Industry, Chinese Taipei
Synopsis: The speaker introduced a number of women in Chinese Taipei who have benefited from using information and communications technologies (ICTs) in their businesses. These women used a range of Internet tools, such as blogging, to promote their products and services. The presentation concluded that women need to be more aware of ICT trends and should work to increase their ICT capabilities to grow their businesses.
Title: Developing opportunities for micro-enterprises
Speaker: Francine Whiteduck, President, Whiteduck Resources Inc., Canada
Synopsis: The presenter discussed ways to develop opportunities for women-owned micro-enterprises. Women-owned micro-enterprises need networks and scalable solutions in order to grow. The speaker outlined various ways micro-enterprises can access markets.
Title: Developing opportunities for small to medium enterprises in Brunei Darussalem
Speaker: Datin Paduka Hajah Rokiah, Vice President 1, Women’s Business Council, Brunei Darussalem
Synopsis: The speaker discussed the role of Brunei Darussalem’s Women’s Business Council in promoting and encouraging women-operated small to medium enterprises (SMEs). The number of SMEs in Brunei Darussalem has increased by 213 per cent over the period 1986 to 2004. The Council foresees business opportunities for its members in developing SMEs.
Title: Women contributing to strong and sustainable futures
Speaker: Yoon Young Won, President, Elion, Korea
Synopsis: The presenter argued that women entrepreneurs need support as it is expected that they will play a significant role in the knowledge-based society. It was suggested that women would be better positioned to contribute to strong and sustainable futures through the expansion of infrastructures to develop women’s resources. This would better prepare business women for a more diverse range of jobs that will become available in the knowledge economy.
Title: Bridging the financial gap to growth - PDF [124kb]
Speaker: Diana Abruzzi, Chair, International Women's Federation of Commerce and Industry (IWFCI), Australia
Synopsis: The speaker outlined a number of methods women can use to secure financing to start and grow a business. A detailed summary was also provided of the risks new businesses face and ways to manage those risks.
Title: Raising capital: The lessons learned - PDF [1,143kb]
Speaker: Mavis Mullins, Director, Paewai Mullins Shearing / Poutama Maori Business Trust, New Zealand
Synopsis: The presenter discussed the methods the Aohanga Incorporation used to raise capital for its sheep-shearing operation. The presentation concluded with advice on important points to consider in planning a new business.
Mirage Ballroom 2:
Title: Strengthening women’s capacity through life long learning: framework for gender equality in Japan - PDF [128kb]
Speaker: Kumiko Obino, Member, Council for Gender Equality, Government of Japan
Synopsis: The speaker outlined the legal framework for gender equality in Japan. Then, the Japanese Government’s policy on enhancing learning opportunities for women was introduced. This policy aims to increase the ability of women to participate in society. The presentation concluded that Japan is facing a declining birth rate and aging population and therefore it is essential that a diversity of human resources is nurtured.
Title: Women-leaders: Paving the way to a mature society - PDF [1,149kb]
Speaker: Elena Fedyashina, Executive Director, The Committee of 20, Moscow, Russia
Synopsis: The presenter introduced the Committee of 20, an organization that brings together the most influential women in Russia. The Committee of 20 is dedicated to helping Russian women entrepreneurs increase the success of their businesses. The Committee of 20 aims to be recognized as an influential power in the economic development of Russia. The presentation concluded that learning, persistent self-improvement, and developing a sense of responsibility for the future of Russia are fundamentally important steps in realizing a mature society.
Title: Promoting lifelong learning for women’s self-reliance: An experience from Thailand - PDF [1,287kb]
Speaker: Kanda Vajrabhaya, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Thailand
Synopsis: The presenter discussed the importance of encouraging lifelong learning as a means to increase women’s self-reliance. The important work of the Office of Women’s Affairs and Family Development in Thailand was discussed. The Office’s mandate is to promote the capacity of women and the strength of the family.
Title: Strengthening capacity - PDF [2,045kb]
Speaker: Suzannah Vaughan, Offshore Installation Manager, Australian FPSO Management
Synopsis: The presentation discussed youth programs that encourage young people to work towards their goals and not give up in the face of adversity. In particular, the speaker discussed the Sail Training program, which aims to help young people improve their self esteem and drive forward to success. This program provides a means of developing community awareness and international co-operation and understanding by bringing people together from a large variety of backgrounds onto a small vessel where together they face the challenges of life at sea. This develops leadership and engenders tenacity as teams work together to achieve their goals.
Title: Networking and developing future entrepreneurs
Speaker: Maxine Westaway, Executive Director, The International Alliance for Women, Canada
Synopsis: The presentation discussed the importance of networking and mentoring as methods for encouraging future women entrepreneurs. The speaker highlighted the crucial role of networking associations, training, and follow-up in developing business women.
Title: Strengthening the development of new leaders: the Chilean experience 2007 - PDF [249kb]
Speaker: Luz Marina Gomez, Director, WLN Coquimbo, Chile
Synopsis: The speaker discussed ways of encouraging the development of women’s business networks in a developing country context. Referring to Chile, the presentation pointed to entrepreneurs’ associations as a means through which business women can meet one other. The presenter explained how the 9th WLN meeting in Chile, which she attended, inspired her to successfully realise her dream of starting her own business.
Mirage Ballroom 3:
Title: Impact of changing global conditions for micro businesses and small to medium enterprises
Speaker: Dato Hafsah Hashim, Chief Executive Office, Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation (SMIDEC), Malaysia
Synopsis: The speaker provided information on small to medium enterprises (SMEs) that operate in Malaysia and explained the laws of Malaysia that govern SMEs. The presentation discussed a number of case studies, highlighting challenges women who operate SMEs have faced in Malaysia.
Title: The impacts of changing global conditions for micro and small to medium enterprises in Vietnam - PDF [876kb]
Speaker: Nguyen Thi Phuong, Director, Khanh Vinh Salt Company, Vietnam
Synopsis: This presentation discusses the positive and negative impacts of global changes on enterprises. The presenter explains that particularly since Vietnam joined the World Trade Organisation, Vietnamese small and medium enterprises have been significantly impacted by global changes. The presentation concludes that women entrepreneurs can contribute much to Vietnam’s economy.
Title: Impact of changing global conditions for micro and small to medium enterprises
Speaker: Sjamsiah Achmad, Gender Advisor for Ministry for Women Empowerment, Indonesia
Title: Entrepreneurial women and small to medium enterprises in Chinese Taipei - PDF [1,398kb]
Speaker: Mei-Hsueh Lin, Secretary General, SME Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Chinese Taipei
Synopsis: The speaker provided information on women working in small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in Chinese Taipei. Chinese Taipei’s program to encourage entrepreneurship among women was then introduced. The speaker explained that the program focuses on empowering women to engage in e-commerce initiatives.
Title: Better business practices for micro and small to medium enterprises
Speaker: Patricia Foley Hinnen, Founder, Capital Sisters International, USA
Title: Better business practices for micro businesses and small to medium enterprises- PDF [1,852kb]
Speaker: Dr. Petmanee Daowieng, Manager, Committee Consultant of Thai Women SMES Association, Office of SMES Promotion, Thailand
Synopsis: A case study was presented of OTOP (One Tambon, One Product), an organisation founded in 2001 to create jobs and increase opportunities for rural women in Thailand. OTOP has succeeded in helping rural women expand from selling their products locally to reaching international markets.