Minister addresses SE Asian women

Minister addresses SE Asian women

SINGAPORE (DPA): A Singapore Cabinet minister urged on Monday high-powered Southeast Asian women to help prepare others for the "new economy" by enabling them to acquire the necessary skills and mind-sets for an information-technology (IT) economy.

"There is not a more urgent women's issue for women leaders to consider than the digital divide," Aline Wong, senior minister of state for education, told the third ASEAN Women Leaders Convention.

The two-day event brought together prominent women from both the private and public sectors of the 10-member countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

So much information, learning and work opportunities are now available online that women will find themselves falling farther behind if they do not acquire IT skills or have access to computers, Wong warned.