President Vo Van Thuong met with outstanding businesswomen nationwide who are members of the Vietnam Association for Women Entrepreneurs (VAWE) in Hanoi on October 5.
The meeting took place ahead of the Vietnamese Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13), the anniversary of the Vietnam Women's Union (October 20), and the anniversary of the VAWE (October 19).
VAWE President Thai Huong said the association now has 33 sub-associations in 32 provinces and cities, gathering thousands of female business owners working in all sectors with millions of workers. Many of them have been honoured with noble titles and international awards while a number of their products have won the “Vietnam National Brand” title.
Besides, VAWE members have also fulfilled their familial roles and engaged in charity and social activities, she noted.
At the event, representatives of women entrepreneurs thanked the Party, State, ministries, and agencies for tackling difficulties and issuing timely policies to help the VAWE and women-run companies to develop.
In his remarks, President Thuong highlighted the enormous and historic achievements Vietnam has obtained over the nearly 40 years of Doi moi (Renewal), and attributed the successes to the substantial contributions by women entrepreneurs and the VAWE.
He expressed his admiration for Vietnamese businesswomen who have upheld determination, and surmounted challenges to secure many important accomplishments. Women have also served as the pillar of their families. He described their journeys to success as inspirational stories for society and young people who want to start a business.
The State leader held that whether or not Vietnam can realise the goal of becoming a high-income and developed country by 2045 depends partly on contributions by entrepreneurs, including female ones.
The Party and State always listen to their opinions and work to improve the investment and business climate so that entrepreneurs can maximise their potential and contributions to the country, he affirmed.
As women account for half of the population and the workforce, the 8,000 VAWE members haven't fully reflected the potential of Vietnamese businesswomen, so the VAWE should expand its network to all the 63 provinces and cities nationwide, he said.
The President also asked the association to encourage and nurture women’s aspiration for legal representation, support brands of Vietnamese goods by sharing knowledge and experience, and submit proposals to help create a more favourable business environment and build national development policies.
