Participants share their experiences in the digital economy (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – A
conference on “Businesswomen in the digital economy” held recently in Hanoi highlighted
the need for women-owned businesses to take advantage of opportunities created
by the advancement of digital technology, e-commerce, and online marketing
amidst the 4th industrial revolution.
The conference intended to offer
opportunities for female entrepreneurs to access information and share their
experiences in the digital economy.
Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of the Vietnam
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), called on female entrepreneurs to
improve their knowledge and skills to keep abreast of market changes, as the
digital economy demands businesswomen’s creativity and flexibility.
Addressing the difficulties and
challenges that female workers must overcome in the digital economy, Dao Hong
Lan, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the ministry
was ready to strengthen co-operation with national and international agencies
to enhance the participation of women in the digital economy, contributing to
ensuring the goal of gender equality in Vietnam.
Clair Deevy, head of Economic
Growth Initiatives for Asia-Pacific at Facebook, introduced the programme #SheMeansBusiness, which
launched in Vietnam in September. The initiative aims to equip women
entrepreneurs with the knowledge, connections, skills and technology required
to build and grow their business online through a series of workshops, training
sessions and online resources.
[Vietnamese women contribute significantly to economy: WB official]
Forty percent of pages on
Facebook are women-owned, and new data indicated that women-owned pages have
grown more than 60 percent year-on-year. In Vietnam, the number of women-owned
small business pages increased by a factor of 2.5 over the previous year, Deevy
added.
The conference highlighted the
growing need to ensure women’s economic empowerment as means of achieving
greater growth overall.
“There is international consensus
on the fact that the full and equal participation of women in the economy is
necessary to achieve economic growth, poverty reduction and the overall
sustainable development of nations,” Elisa Fernandez Saenz, head of office, UN
Women Vietnam said.
“Women entrepreneurs are an
essential talent pool that can bring great value added to Vietnam’s
economy. Reducing barriers for their participation, development of skills
especially in STEM fields, and promoting their access to greater markets,
especially in the digital economy, including through the use of social media
for business and growth, must be promoted.”
The event was organised by VCCI,
in accordance with VWEC and Facebook. It drew the participation of 200 women
representatives and entrepreneurs from ministries, departments and
associations.-VNA