Hanoi (VNA)🐻 – Amid the fierce competition in the market, many female entrepreneurs have become powerful figures in their business areas.

According to Thai Huong, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs’ Association, who is also the Chairwoman of the Strategic Council of the TH Group, the number of businesses led by women has increased from 4 percent in 2009 to 21 percent in 2011. It is currently at 25 percent.

The rate is the highest in Southeast Asia and ranks 19 out of the 54 economies listed in the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs.

High sense of corporate social responsibility

Over the years, many localities across the country have applied social distancing measures due to COVID-19, the historic pandemic that has affected the whole world and caused an unprecedented crisis for businesses. However, despite the difficulties, those resilient female entrepreneurs have actively coped with their problems. Instead of waiting for support from the outside, they have taken a pioneering role in social activities by joining hands with the State and community to push back the pandemic. They have made great contributions to the National COVID-19 Vaccine Fund by donating money to buy respirators and medical supplies to help frontline forces in the pandemic fight. They have joined efforts in running “zero-dong supermarkets” and implementing meaningful programmes and activities to assist labourers and pandemic-hit groups in the society with a total cost of trillions of dong. “On top of this, the businesses have shown high awareness of their role and a strong sense of social responsibility, strictly adhering to the Government’s directions,” said Huong.

Many women entrepreneurs have been honoured with many noble titles and international awards, including the titles of Hero of Labour in the Renewal Period and Outstanding ASEAN Female Entrepreneurs, along with Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards and Stevie Award.

Huong said that through the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs’ Association, women entrepreneurs have contributed ideas to documents of the 13^th🐬 National Party Congress as well as the building of laws.

Efforts from whole political system amid pandemic

Efforts that the Government has exerted in taking care of the people and businesses have become a strong motivation for the business community to overcome the crisis caused by the pandemic. According to Huong, the image of the Prime Minister in a shirt wet with sweat while inspecting pandemic prevention and control activities, or those of doctors, military and public security soldiers having quick meals while working moved the public and motivate the business community to work harder to overcome challenges to control the pandemic and boost the economic development at the same time. She spoke highly of the Government’s great attention to the business community. In the two consecutive months of August and September, the PM held two large-scale online conferences to listen to enterprises’ concerns and direct ministries and sectors to remove difficulties facing them. “For these efforts and the solidarity in the entire society, so far the pandemic has been generally put under control. Meanwhile, together with the drastic implementation of the vaccination campaign, the Vietnamese economy is recovering and returning to normal,” Huong said. With the vision of a large-scale firm’s leader, Huong held that along this recovery trend, the goal of 3 percent in gross domestic product (GDP) this year is feasible. “While the whole world is struggling with the COVID-19 economic downturn, this will be a great success for Vietnam in controlling the pandemic and maintaining production at the same time,” Huong asserted. She expressed her belief that with the effective and flexible directions of the Government and the PM, as well as the strong recovery of the world economy, Vietnam will overcome post-pandemic difficulties and continue to rise./.