PM to hail women's empowerment in Seoul

PM to hail women's empowerment in Seoul

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will attend the Sunday inauguration of South Korea's first female president, Park Geun-hye, and plans to hail women's empowerment in government, her office said on Saturday.

The inauguration of Park Geun-hye (right) in South Korea will bring to 17 the number of female heads of government in the world.

During the two-day visit to Seoul, Ms Yingluck "will call on President-Elect Park Geun-hye to join hands in promoting women's empowerment development in the region", said an announcement on the prime minister's web page.

The theme is a favourite of Ms Yingluck, who rose to power through her family and business positions.

Last September, at seminar in New York during her visit to the United Nations, the prime minister spoke strongly about encouraging opportunity for women.

"I grew up in an entrepreneur family that operated a small cinema in northern Thailand," she said. "So from a young age, I have been encouraged to work for a living and being a woman was never an obstacle."

Ms Park, elected last year, also comes from an influential family, although she has spent most of her working life in politics. Her father was Park Chung-Hee, who was assassinated after being president for 18 years.

Ms Yingluck, according to sources at the PM's office, will ask Ms Park in private conversations if she is willing to join a Thai-Korean effort to promote opportunity for young women.

Ms Yingluck last November agreed with outgoing President Lee Myung-bak that the two countries should be "strategic partners". Ms Yingluck, in her brief meeting with Ms Park on Sunday, hopes to build on the strategic agreement to bring in specific programmes, starting with the one for female empowerment.

The "inauguration ceremony is another significant event that showcases women's empowerment in the administration of state affairs", her website emphasised.

Ms Yingluck will leave Korea on Monday, and will stop in Hong Kong on her way home, at the invitation of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.

It will be a busy, working visit. She is scheduled to meet with top bankers and financiers in the territory on Monday, and then hold a meeting with executives of top travel companies to promote tourism on Tuesday.

Thai business leaders and officials from the Finance Ministry will host a roadshow Tuesday evening in Hong Kong on "Thailand’s Strategies: A Road Map for Real Opportunities", with a keynote speech by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong.

While Asia, which had the world's first woman head of government (Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka), holds a meeting of political leaders, the United States is preparing for a gathering on April 4-5 called - seriously - the fourth annual Women in the World Summit.

Despite the "summit" title, the show will feature only entertainers.

The meeting in the US, which has never elected a woman leader, will be at the luxurious Lincoln Center in New York City.

Sponsors Newsweek and The Daily Beast announced Saturday the "summit will feature speeches and panel discussions led by such prolific women as Eva Longoria, Oprah Winfrey, and actress America Ferrera".

As of Sunday, 17 countries have female heads of government, none of whom were professional entertainers.

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