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Seoul, South Korea, 29 November 2023 - The Asia Pacific Women’s Information Network Center (APWINC) successfully completed the ‘Second Meeting of the Steering Committee’ on 15th November 2023 in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

The APWINC, the UNESCO Chair in Communication Technology for Women, is the proponent of the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Project of "Enhancing Digital Economy Participation for ASEAN Women Micro-, Small-, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Project,” or “IDEAS Project.” 

The Steering Committee was established to manage the project effectively, which consists of ASEAN Coordinating Committee on MSMEs (ACCMSME), the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN-Korea Programme Management Team (AKPMT), and the APWINC. This meeting marked the first in-person meeting since the establishment of the Steering Committee in 2022. 

During the session, the committee shared key accomplishments of the project and deliberated on comprehensive local project implementation plans, set to commence from 2024 onwards. Particularly, under the shared objective of enhancing digital economy participation for ASEAN women entrepreneurs who own their MSMEs, the diverse characteristics of the 10 ASEAN Member States were considered to explore approaches that can ensure the effective dissemination of project outcomes throughout the region.

The Executive Director of the APWINC, Dr. Jung-In Jo, expressed confidence that “IDEAS project will bring about multifaceted benefits, including the successful digital transformation of ASEAN women entrepreneurs’ businesses, acceleration of the ASEAN digital economy, and strengthening of collaboration and networks between ASEAN and South Korea,” while emphasizing the need for cooperation and support to enable women to play a central role in the ASEAN economy.  

Ms. Blesila A. Lantayona, the Chairperson of the ACCMSME, highlighted the significant importance of the project, stating that it places a strong focus on the economic empowerment of ASEAN women, and ultimately contributing to the increased income of women entrepreneurs in the region. Ms. Lantayona appealed for the active attention and participation of the ACCMSME to ensure the successful implementation of the project.

The APWINC also organized a special speech by Mr. Jeong-In, Suh, former Ambassador to ASEAN, and Honorary Professor at Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNCA). In his talk on “Digital Diplomacy: ASEAN-Korea Advancing Women’s Digital and Economic Inclusion,” he provided insights into the potential and future challenges of digital economic cooperation between South Korea and ASEAN. He mentioned that the IDEAS project has the potential to serve as a platform for enhancing the digital capacity of ASEAN women entrepreneurs. 

Following the meeting, the Steering Committee members visited Sookmyung Women’s University for discussions with President Chang Yoon-Keum and a campus tour. During the meeting with the president, opinions were exchanged on the collaboration between ASEAN and South Korea, and shared values and vision held by our university. The campus tour provided an opportunity to enhance understanding of the university’s history and traditions, as the first royal private educational institution for women in South Korea.

Meanwhile, in January 2022, Asia Pacific Women’s Information Network Center at Sookmyung Women’s University was officially approved as the executing agency for the “Enhancing Digital Economy Participation for ASEAN Women Micro-, Small-, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Project,” or “IDEAS Project,” a 5-year project funded by the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF).