Hanoi (VNA) - Aconference on “Businesswomen in the digital economy” held recently in Hanoi highlightedthe need for women-owned businesses to take advantage of opportunities createdby the advancement of digital technology, e-commerce, and online marketingamidst the 4th industrial revolution.

The conference intended to offeropportunities for female entrepreneurs to access information and share theirexperiences in the digital economy. 

Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of the VietnamChamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), called on female entrepreneurs toimprove their knowledge and skills to keep abreast of market changes, as thedigital economy demands businesswomen’s creativity and flexibility.

Addressing the difficulties andchallenges that female workers must overcome in the digital economy, Dao HongLan, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the ministrywas ready to strengthen co-operation with national and international agenciesto enhance the participation of women in the digital economy, contributing toensuring the goal of gender equality in Vietnam.

Clair Deevy, head of EconomicGrowth Initiatives for Asia-Pacific at Facebook, introduced the programme #SheMeansBusiness, whichlaunched in Vietnam in September. The initiative aims to equip womenentrepreneurs with the knowledge, connections, skills and technology requiredto build and grow their business online through a series of workshops, trainingsessions and online resources.

[Vietnamese women contribute sigꦿni൲ficantly to economy: WB official]

Forty percent of pages onFacebook are women-owned, and new data indicated that women-owned pages havegrown more than 60 percent year-on-year. In Vietnam, the number of women-ownedsmall business pages increased by a factor of 2.5 over the previous year, Deevyadded.

The conference highlighted thegrowing need to ensure women’s economic empowerment as means of achievinggreater growth overall.

“There is international consensuson the fact that the full and equal participation of women in the economy isnecessary to achieve economic growth, poverty reduction and the overallsustainable development of nations,” Elisa Fernandez Saenz, head of office, UNWomen Vietnam said.

“Women entrepreneurs are anessential talent pool that can bring great value added to Vietnam’seconomy.  Reducing barriers for their participation, development of skillsespecially in STEM fields, and promoting their access to greater markets,especially in the digital economy, including through the use of social mediafor business and growth, must be promoted.”

The event was organised by VCCI,in accordance with VWEC and Facebook. It drew the participation of 200 womenrepresentatives and entrepreneurs from ministries, departments andassociations.-VNA