A conference on “Businesswomen in the digital economy” held in Ha Noi on Friday 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, president of the Viet Nam 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 Viet Nam.

Clair Deevy, head of Economic Growth Initiatives for Asia-Pacific at Facebook, introduced the programme #SheMeansBusiness, which launched in Viet Nam 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.

Forty per cent of pages on Facebook are women-owned, and new data indicated that women-owned pages have grown more than 60 per cent year-on-year. In Viet Nam, 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 Viet Nam told Viet Nam News. “Women entrepreneurs are an essential talent pool that can bring great value added to Viet Nam’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. — VNS