Vietnamese Women Entrepreneurs: All-round Equality

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Phiet, Vice Chair of Saigon Women Entrepreneurs Club said that in the present time, doing business is even difficult for men, let alone women. Her company specializing in bags and knapsacks for export is in shortage of workforce and capital. Currently, the company has only 300 workers with an average income of VND2-5 million a month. It needs around 500 workers of secondary or even primary education standards for further vocational training. The shortage of workforce is due to unstable migrant workers and staff founding new companies of the same industry. The growth of workforce is a good sign but also a danger of unstable manpower. She also disclosed that she has participated in nearly 20 charity organizations from ward, district to city. Her charity work helps promote business activities and vice versa.

 

For her part, Ms Pham Thi Dieu Hien, Chairperson and Director General of two companies: Dieu Hien Trade-Construction Co., Ltd and Binh An – Can Tho aquatic products JSC, said that in her business activities, she always remembers the adage “without long-term vision, difficulties will get closer.” Some years ago, the company had already defined a sustainable development plan with diversified products and markets, meeting the demand in quality and prices. She believes that the workers must be in good health to ensure high quality products. Her company has therefore applied SA 8000 standard on health and social welfare. “To develop business in the present conditions, we must ensure product quality and credibility. We must gain confidence in our partners. In fact, our partners have confidence in us – women entrepreneurs of capacity and trust. »

 

In the present conditions of world economic crisis, like other exporters, Vietnamese women entrepreneurs in the same industries are facing difficulties. Ms La Thi Lan, President of Ho Chi Minh City Mechanics Association said that, by its own experiences and learning from other businesses worldwide, the Association has guided member businesses to turn to the domestic market and then to neighbouring Laos and Cambodia. The Association has also emphasized long-term development with appropriate care for health and social welfare of the workers.

According to the statistics, Vietnam has over 330,000 SMEs with some 90,000 women owners. According to a VCCI survey, the average working time of women is almost equal to that of men, however with family chores the working time of women increases to 13 hours compared to 9 hours for men. Most women entrepreneurs are involved in education service (56 percent) and hotel and restaurant services (47 percent). Women entrepreneurs make up 18-20 percent in trade, service, aquaculture and manufacturing, 4 percent in agriculture and forestry. However, women’s salary in 2004 was only 83 percent that of men in urban areas and 85 percent in rural areas. At present, 12 percent of women entrepreneurs and 6 percent of men entrepreneurs use their profit for savings or family spending. It shows that while women care more for family while men focus more on business expansion.

 

Ms Nguyen Thi Nga, President of SeABank said that the number of women entrepreneurs in Vietnam remains modest. Companies led by women are still weak in financial competition and capital access. They are small in financial and capital resources and poor in efficiency and sustainable development. Furthermore, they are limited in knowledge and management capacity. There are only a small number of women managers with high expertise and management skill while most of them are not trained in business activities and international competition. Foreign language and IT knowledge are also their weaknesses, failing to meet the demand of international integration.

 

Women entrepreneurs have to be good in both business activities and family responsibility. Social prejudice contributes to lowering women’s status making it difficult for women to overcome difficulties in business activities. To promote women entrepreneurs, it is necessary to develop a network of organizations to assist them at central and local levels. “Women entrepreneurs must increase their all-round capacity,” Ms Nga concluded.