Vietnam boasts tremendous successes and quickest speed in eradicating gender gap in the world in the past 20 years, according to international communities. Women have more equal rights in political, and economic and social activities. Currently, Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest rate of female congresswomen in the Asia - Pacific region, with 24.4 percent. The percentage of women running businesses account for more than 20 percent - a relatively high rate in the region and the world.
This significant information was shared by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan at the Seminar on "Cooperation and Sustainable Development" - an activity in a series of events the Female Entrepreneurs Forum 2012 held in Hanoi on March 6 by the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council under the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).
He affirmed that women have made special contribution to the national economic growth in the past more than 20 years of reform. The businesswoman community has more roles in poverty reduction and social security issues. When the Law on Gender Equality was enforced and the Politburo’s Resolution 09 on building and promoting the roles of entrepreneurs in the period of accelerating industrialisation, modernisation and international integration, the number of women-led enterprises is rising. They employ a large number of workers, attain high growth rates and reap tremendous successes which are no less than men on the market.
VCCI President Vu Tien Loc said a quarter of businesses in Vietnam are run by women. Women-led companies account for 30 percent of market capitalisation on the stock market. They are asserting their positions in the Vietnamese economy and in the region.
Ms Victoria Kwakwa, Country Director of the World Bank in Vietnam, said women-led businesses in Vietnam are diverse in scales, from large to smallholding and household. They significantly contribute to the country’s GDP and create many jobs for other women. Corporate profits help women increase their families’ incomes. Some 21 percent of enterprises in Vietnam are managed by women and 97 percent of women-led enterprises are small and medium private companies.
According to Ms Victoria, with these characteristics, to facilitate businesswomen to do business, the Government needs to amend the laws to resolve problems facing businesswomen, such as Land Law and Labour Law. Besides, commercial banks should introduce initiatives to help women understand financial risks and preventive measures. Especially, female entrepreneurs need to find ways to add value to their goods and services and take advantage of State-owned enterprise restructuring.
She asserted: "Never think that you cannot do business because of no capital. What you need is knowledge and experience. Do not start with big things. Let's start with little things. The solution to capital shortage problems is to use the capital you are keeping.”
According to a recent survey by VCCI, approximately 30 percent of businesses plan to expand operations in 2012, 40 percent will keep their production scales, and only 20 percent will possibly scale down production, including closed and dissolved ones. Up to 70 percent of respondents plan to expand investments in the next three years. “Therefore, the belief of businesses in general and businesswomen in particular is high. This tells the sheer vitality of women,” said Ms Tran Thi Thuy, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council.
Ms Le Thi Nam Phuong, President of SKY-LINE High Quality Education System
For help businesspeople in general and businesswoman in particular to develop sustainably, we need to look at three aspects: They need sharing, understanding and recognition of their families, relatives and the society. For the business community, they need mutual support, cooperation opportunities, non-discrimination, unity for joint construction and development, not only in business operations but also in formation of Vietnamese women entrepreneurs’ culture.
The government, domestic and foreign social and political institutions need to train and foster their leadership, administration skills and business knowledge of female entrepreneurs. They need to spare a preferential capital source, a prefential loan to ease difficulties and limitations.
Ms Nguyen Thi Nguyet Huong, President of VID Group
Current difficulties are directly affecting businesses. I hope the Ministry of Finance closely instructs the restructuring of State-owned enterprises, making them perform their predestined roles of leading the economy and particularly use State capital and assets effectively. Their commitments to exercising thrift must be carried out in parallel with corporate restructuring. Besides, I hope that the Government will consider applying a fairer mechanism for State-owned enterprises and private businesses because capital and human resource using efficiency of the latter is better than the former. These are good measures to ensure sustainable and quality growth of Vietnam's economy.
Ms Pham Thi Huan, Director of Ba Huan Co., Ltd.
At present, Ba Huan’s clean eggs account for 40 percent of Ho Chi Minh City’s market share. And, the products are now being supplied to leading firms in Vietnam like Vissan, Kinh Do and Bibica. Keeping in direct tough with farmers in the past 40 years, I am aware that the expansive development of our company not only brings benefits for its own but also helps farmers eradicate hunger, reduce poverty and modernise rural areas. Currently, thousands of farmers have joined the company’s safe husbandry. It has also forged joint cooperation with farmers, scientists, enterprises and the State. This model enables poor farmers to access capital source, breeding and technique supports. In return, the company has a good supply.
Farmers need further support programmes and they must have the right to enjoy such services as health insurance and social insurance. In the future, they need to have pension.
Le Hien
Vietnamese
