HTC
chairwoman Cher Wang announced an initiative at a World Bank roundtable on
Thursday to donate 100,000 HTC tablets to young women in Asia-Pacific
countries.
"My
commitment is to give HTC tablets to 100,000 young women in the Asia-Pacific
region to empower them to define a greater role for themselves," Wang said
at the discussion on the Equal Futures Partnership, which is dedicated to
promoting women's rights.
Tablets
have equipped a very powerful learning platform that emphasizes science and
technology, she said.
"I
strongly believe there should be a much greater role in technology for women,
not only as users but also as innovators, business owners and industry
leaders," Wang said.
Noting that
technology has revolutionized the way people live and will continue to bring
prosperity to the world, Wang said she was also very excited by the greater
access to education brought by technology.
"Technology
has created a powerful learning platform... connected mobile devices can now
bring the best teachers in the world to anyone anywhere," Wang said.
Wang said
she believed that if the potential of hundreds of millions of women who are now
denied quality education or any education of any kind could be harnessed, the
world would be much better off.
She also
recalled founding HTC to create a computer so small that it could be carried in
a pocket and said she was now setting her sights elsewhere.
"The
dream has come true and now my next dream is to make the world a more equal
place for women," Wang said.
Citing a
Chinese philosopher, Wang said a journey of 1,000 miles must begin with a
single step. "My hope is that those young women (who get HTC tablets) will
be empowered to define a greater role for themselves and millions more will be
empowered to the path of a more prosperous future," Wang said.
HTC, Taiwan's
leading smartphone maker, was the only Asian private business invited to attend
the forum sponsored by the World Bank at its headquarters in Washington DC.
Most of the
other participants represented Equal Futures Partnership member countries, including
Denmark, Mexico, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Croatia, Norway and Benin.
The
roundtable focused on how to expand economic opportunities and political
participation for women and girls in Equal Futures Partnership member
countries.
Wang's
commitment to donating tablets drew applause from other participants at the
meeting, including World Bank chairman Jim Yong Kim, US Treasury Secretary
Jacob Lew and senior officials and financial experts from many other countries.
Wang, who
concurrently serves as chairwoman of the ABAC Women's Forum, said it was the
first time she had been invited to attend a forum held by the World Bank.
Given its
diplomatic isolation, Taiwan should take part in as many international
activities as possible, she said.
A booth displaying
HTC's new products, including smartphones and tablets, was set up at the World
Bank roundtable venue, drawing many visitors.
Wang has
also been invited to attend an Equal Futures Partnership- related roundtable
discussion to be held at the White House on Friday.
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