4 DECEMBER2022Editor NoteVietnamese Government Prioritizes Boosting Women's Participation in the Workforce Vietnam has always been a nation with a majority of its womenfolk partaking in the formal economy. Vietnam's total population reached approximately 98.5 million in 2021 and close to half of the population happens to be women. The country has about 26 million female workers which amounts to 47.3 percent of the total working people in the country.Vietnam is also one of the top 15 nations in the world with the highest rate of working women. A majority of women in Vietnam work and make a living for themselves. In the Vietnamese SME sector women-owned companies form roughly 21 percent of all SMEs. Official data has also proven that Vietnamese women-owned businesses earn average revenues which are similar to the one's earned by male owned organizations. However, the country realizes that there still need to be proactive measures that can bring more women into the working population and ultimately contribute to the country's economy. Work is also required to bring more employment access to women and promote more women to take up leadership roles. The Vietnamese government has prioritized the effort to improve women's participation in the workforce. In order to do so the Vietnamese government has adopted the National Strategy on Gender Equality for the 2021-2030 period with a major focus on encouraging women entrepreneurship. Women Entrepreneur Magazine's mandate also aligns with the Vietnamese government's. We aim to shine the spotlight on women leaders who have built a formidable presence in their respective field of work. In the current issue we bring to you Vietnamese women leaders who have carved a niche for themselves in the business world and are known for being trailblazers in their fields of work. The first leader featured in the issue is Dao Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American corporate lawyer and mompreneur. Be it practising law, running a law firm, or being a mother; she gives her best to all roles of her life, which she believes to have inherited from her mom.She is a graduate of Harvard University with a degree in Classics (Greek & Latin) and an alumnus of UCLA Law School. She has been practicing law in Vietnam since 1995 when the US first lifted its embargo. Prior to that, she practised in the US & Japan. Dao was a Managing Partner for over 21 years for two international law firms in Vietnam having helped both set up there. "In the last 27 years in Vietnam, I trust that I have grown up with the country and helped many companies build their businesses in the region. I have been fortunate to help a major international bank set up in Vietnam as a start-up. I cherish my contributions to changing laws to help promote a good business environment for both foreign and domestic companies," says Dao.The issue also features FongChan Zeuthen, a successful Danish entrepreneur, who earned a Master of Architecture from Denmark's Academy of Architecture in Aarhus. Founded in 2010, Fong-Chan Zeuthen's Vietnam-based Interior Design business has won prestigious awards.Fong Chan Zeuthen, a successful businesswoman and a notable architect from Denmark, was born in Thailand, but was adopted as a youngster. She spent her formative years in Denmark where she finished her Master studies. These stories intend to inspire, inform and motivate. Read on and do let us know your thoughts. Rachita SharmaManaging Editor
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