The Council of Agriculture (COA) Farmers Assistance Department Director  Shao-huei Tsao and Ms Li-chen Peng (Mother Tian) were invited to report respectively at the 15^th APEC Women Leaders Network (WLN) Meeting in Tokyo, Japan on September 21, 2010 on how Taiwan trained rural women to start the Mother Tian business and share with other APEC members the experience of Taiwan rural women’s success in creating small businesses, which have made Mother Tian the light of Taiwan.

l Theme of 15^th APEC MLN Meeting – Creation of New Global Economic Activities by Women

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is the most important forum to promote economic growth, cooperation and investment in the Asia-Pacific area. The APEC WLN Meeting is organized at several women leaders’ initiative and the first WLN meeting was held in Manila, the Philippines in October 1996, announcing that WLN meetings aimed at encouraging women in the APEC region to participate in economic affairs and decision-making and calling on APEC to notice the different impact and influence on men and women when promoting such works as trade and investment liberalization. The subsequent annual WLN meetings passed various resolutions and presented them to APEC for reference.

The 15^th APEC WLN Meeting was hosted by Japan with the theme “Creation of New Global Economic Activities by Women – Realization through People, Nature and Culture.” The 8 subjects being discussed included women’s strategy for starting businesses in economy and commerce, joining board of directors, and lifelong career development; educational and vocational technical trainings to groom women leaders in the fields of science and engineering; rural women effectively hiring people, material culture and environment to create successful businesses; new business models will lead the way in future development and trend, demonstrating the influence of small businesses run by local women.

l Mother Tian Shines on International Stage

Earlier this year the Ministry of the Interior asked various government agencies to recommend appropriate businesswomen to represent Taiwan at the 15^th APEC WLN Meeting according to its theme and workshops. Taiwan sent a list of 15 candidates to the Japanese organizers of the WLN meeting for confirmation. In the end “Mother Tian” Ms Li-chen Peng, who was recommended by the COA, was chosen as a discussant in the WLN workshop. She and COA Farmers Assistance Department Director Tsao reported in the workshop on Taiwan ’s organizing rural women to promote lifelong learning, strengthen job skills, expand personal relationships and upgrade social status. Mother Tian Cooking Classes are the realization of strengthening job skills. The COA has assisted farmers associations in training rural women to design and develop cuisine with special local flavor and hand-made desserts by using fresh and delicious local agricultural products. Such practice has not only satisfied the tasting buds of visitors but also increased job opportunities for rural women. “Mother Tian” has been registered as a trademark to lay the foundations of creating such micro-entrepreneurs.

Ms Peng learned in the Mother Tian Cooking Class in 1994 to use old ginger, a local product, as an ingredient in developing a series of ginger dishes. She has since run a restaurant to increase local job opportunities and its annual turnover increased to some NT$4 million now. Her case just highlights the subject discussed at the 15^th APEC WLN Meeting -- Rural women effectively hiring people, using current existing material culture and environment to create successful businesses. Just like all-purpose superwomen, rural women in the 21^st century of Taiwan have not only to do all jobs in both the house and farm but also have professional expertise. More and more rural women have demonstrated outstanding ability of running business. We see in Ms Peng’s smile the pride of Taiwanrural women’s determination and she is a very good role model for Taiwan ’s rural women.