Women Entrepreneurs in e-Business Training Program Concludes
The work of women e-Commerce entrepreneurs from around the Asia-Pacific has been given a boost this week with the "APEC Women's e-Biz Training 2006" that concluded today in Seoul, Korea.
Held over six days, the training program sought to increase the competitiveness of women entrepreneurs, women leaders and policy makers involved with gender issues to improve their knowledge and skills in e-business.
Delegates from APEC Member Economies participated in a range of e-lectures that covered topics such as emerging technologies in e-Business, business planning, branding and marketing strategy development, skills sessions on building websites and group sessions where participants were to formulate a collaborative business plan based on the learning they've acquired throughout the training course.
Dr. Kio Chung Kim, Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Women's Network Center of Sookmyung Women's University and the organizer of this meaningful event said the training has sought to impart new knowledge and skills for women to prosper in the new world of online business.
"This APEC program has equipped a number of women with e-business skills that they can use and impart to women in their economies so that they can succeed in the knowledge based economy," Dr. Kim said.
"A number of the participants were from areas where opportunities had often been denied to women in the past. Now the women who attended this APEC training will have an opportunity to return home and make a difference."
One of the participants, Ms Josepina D. Parilla, the Founder of 'A Women's Livelihood Project' in the Philippines said the training would provide a boost to her and other women in her economy.
"I've been encouraging each and every woman in my country to be entrepreneurs," Ms. Parilla said at the conclusion of the Women's e-Biz Training 2006 Week.
"I feel like I am finally able to conduct business with other parts of the world now that I'm finally connected to the online business world.
"So I am happy that I got to create my own website for my business.
"I am also very happy that I have networked with different business women from all over the world."
Dr. Kio Chung Kim also highlighted the potential of women entrepreneurs in the APEC region.
"Women in the Asia-Pacific have tremendous entrepreneurial zeal and when barriers are overcome, are stepping up to the challenges of online business," Dr. Kim said.
Lectures covered areas such as the development of entrepreneurship, Internet security and ethics, intellectual property rights and managing customer relations online.
The training also included business matching sessions where a number of Korean women CEOs introduced their products and services that had proved successful in the Korean market and sought business partners among the participants.
The training program was held at the Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul and was organized by the APEC Women's e-Biz Center in association with the Asia Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The APEC Women's e-Biz Center was established at the Asia Pacific Women's Information Network Center of the Sookmyung Women's University of Korea with the sponsorship of Korea's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy and APEC. The core role of the centre is to implement the APEC project 'Initiative for APEC Women's Participation in the Digital Economy' that is running from 2005 to 2009. The initiative is involved in research, e-Business Training, eBiz Community Building and policy forum aimed at enhancing the participation of women in the digital economy.