Belize and Taiwan Sign $3 Million Deal to Support Women and Young Entrepreneurs

The Government of Belize and the Government of the Republic of China, Taiwan, have signed a new three-million-U.S.-dollar agreement aimed at helping women and young people strengthen and grow their businesses. The Belize Women and Youth MSMEs Development Project was signed yesterday and will provide training, business guidance and support to help entrepreneurs improve their businesses, reach new markets and create jobs. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Francis Fonseca, says the initiative is part of Belize’s continued partnership with Taiwan and is expected to create greater opportunities for local entrepreneurs.  

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “Todays’ signing is a reaffirmation of the confidence that our two governments place in this partnership and its ability to deliver meaningful and lasting results particularly for Belizean women who remain this project’s central focus. When a woman starts a business she’s not only generating income for herself she’s very often the primary force stabilizing a household’s finances, financing her children’s education and reinvesting in her community. Support to women entrepreneurs is in that sense one of the most direct investments we can make in the next generation of Belizeans. We are grateful to the Government of the Republic of China Taiwan for its continued confidence in Belize and for its willingness to invest not in our entrepreneurs but in the broader potential of our private sector through this project in closing one of the most consequential gender gaps in our economy. As we sign this agreement today we look forward to building on what we have achieved together and to deepening this cooperation in the years ahead.”

The project will be jointly implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Education, Culture, Science and Technology and the Taiwan Technical Mission in Belize. It will focus on helping entrepreneurs build stronger and more sustainable businesses, with particular attention being given to women and young people. Ambassador of the Republic of China, Taiwan His Excellency Amino Chi spoke about the importance of providing entrepreneurs with the tools and support they need to develop their businesses and gain access to new opportunities.

H.E. Amino Chi, Ambassador of The Republic of China, Taiwan: “It’s my pleasure to announce that Taiwan and Belize are going to continue the initiative in empowering women and youth in Belize. The previous women empowerment projects began in the aftermath of the covid pandemic which aimed to support those most affected women and to help create opportunities for economic recovery in Belize. The previous project had reached more than 2,700 women across all districts of Belize and we can see communities were rebuilt and many women had stepped into non traditional fields such as cell phone repair. These are the foundations we have built together. We are pleased to launch today the Belize Women and Youth MSME Development Project. Through the project Taiwan will share its experience and expertise to train women and youth in Belize with entrepreneurship, equip them with vital vocational skills and assist them in building their own business in tourism, indigenous handicraft building industries and other potential sectors. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Minister Fonseca and members of the steering committee of the project for your staunch support. I sincerely hope the new project can help Belizean women and youths discover their talent and potential and continue the change of the mindset of women’s role in Belize’s society.”

The new initiative builds on an earlier cooperation project between Belize and Taiwan that supported approximately two thousand women and more than one hundred start-ups.