Project Name：Assisting the Economic Empowerment of Women Project in Latin America and the Caribbean in the Post COVID-19 Era Project / Belize

Project status：Projects in Operation

Cooperating Country：Belize

Project Description：

To support the post-pandemic economic recovery of our allies in Latin America and the Caribbean, and to maintain social stability through enhancing women's economic empowerment, this project aligns with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' policy planning. By integrating financial services with employment and entrepreneurial capacity building, it aims to assist women and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in coping with the impact of the pandemic, thereby promoting economic recovery and social stability in our allied countries. The main components of the project include:

1. Institutional capacity enhancement
2. Vocational skills training for women
3. Women's entrepreneurship incubation and guidance
4. Relief guidance for MSMEs

Project No：TT-160-2021-025

Region：Central America

Project Objectives：

1. Enhance institutional functions.
2. Provide vocational skills training for women.
3. Offer women’s entrepreneurship incubation and guidance.
4. Provide relief guidance for MSMEs.

Executing Agency：

Taiwan Technical Mission in Belize/Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade / Ministry of Rural Transformation/Ministry of Finance/Office of Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children/Ministry Of Human Development/The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI)

Current Progress：

By the end of March 2025, the following activities have been implemented:

1. Convening 4 Project Steering Committee meetings with representatives from Embassy in Belize and the Belize Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Office of the Special Envoy for Women and Children, and the Ministry of Human Development, during which 15 training and incubation programs were reviewed and approved.
2. The functionality of the Beltraide Entrepreneurship Incubation Center was enhanced, assistance was provided in establishing a mobile incubation center, and the scope of counseling was expanded.
3. 27 batches of vocational skills training for women were conducted, cultivating entrepreneurial knowledge and skills in 783 women.
4. 18 batches of entrepreneurship incubation counseling were conducted, fostering 300 new startups.
5. Counseling was provided to 45 micro, small, and medium enterprises to strengthen their economic capabilities.
6. International initiatives:
   1. In collaboration with the Organization of American States (OAS) offices in Belize and the Adjacency Zone with Guatemala, the "Border Women's Economic Empowerment and Peace Culture Project" was executed.
   2. In partnership with the Rotary Club of Belize, the "Let Girls Learn" and "Aspring Women Entrepreneurs " were implemented.
   3. In cooperation with Peacework Belize, the "Women's Empowerment and Resilience Training Program" was executed.
7. Using raised funding to collaborate with the Office of the Special Envoy for The Development of Families and Children, the 'Engaging Men and Boys to Advance Gender Equality and Prevent Gender-Based Violence' initiative was implemented across 12 schools, fostering gender awareness among 307 participating students.

Project Contact：Wang, Yen-Chih

Phone：+886 2 2888 6054

E-mail：y.j.wang@icdf.org.tw

Projected Benefits：

Mission：Taiwan Technical Mission in Belize