Vietnamese women entrepreneurs need robust health, solid courage, and must be equipped with knowledge to reach out to the world

At the inaugural session of the 43rd ASEAN Summit on September 5, 2023, in Jakarta (Indonesia), ASEAN President - Indonesia’s President, H.E Mr. Joko Widodo, bestowed the prestigious ASEAN Award upon Madam Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh, Chairwoman of WELEAD, in the esteemed presence of ASEAN leaders and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Mdm. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh has spearheaded numerous pivotal initiatives aimed at fostering a gender-responsive business ecosystem, aligning with the vision of a "sustainable economy and integrated community." Her steadfast efforts have centered on advancing women's economic empowerment, forging connections within the ASEAN women entrepreneur community, and laying a robust groundwork for partnership and collaboration among female leaders.

To delve deeper into the journey of the first Vietnamese recipient of this prestigious award, Saigon New Day held a conversation with Mdm. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh - Founder and Chairwoman of the WELEAD Trailblazing Women Leaders Network; Founding member of the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network.

Receiving the ASEAN Award is a testament to your more than 40 years of dedication to the business community, especially to female entrepreneurs in Vietnam and ASEAN. How do you reflect on this prestigious recognition?

The ASEAN Award not only honors my contributions but also symbolizes a collective achievement for Vietnam. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the ASEAN Committee on Women in Vietnam (MOLISA), MOFA, VCCI, our esteemed partners, and dedicated colleagues who have accompanied me on this journey. The ASEAN Award has been agreed to organize upon by the governments of the 10 member countries.

The ASEAN Award stands as the epitome of recognition and integrity within the region's accolades.

Firstly, it underscores ASEAN governments' commitment, through the ASEAN Secretariat, to acknowledge and celebrate individuals or organizations within ASEAN for their impactful contributions to the ASEAN community.

Secondly, its transparent selection process involves meticulous nominations from ministries/agencies, leading to stringent evaluations by the judging panel based on defined award criteria.

Thirdly, with only one award bestowed from the nominations across the 10 ASEAN countries, the competition reflects unparalleled excellence. The esteemed judging panel, comprising the current ASEAN Secretary-General and former Secretaries-General, ensures a diverse representation fostering fairness and objectivity. The partnership with renowned institutions like Singapore's Temasek Foundation and Malaysia's Yayasan Hasanah further enhances the award's prestige.

 Lastly, awardees do not pay any fees for participation, and besides receiving the ASEAN Award, they also receive a cash prize of $20,000. This amount opens up opportunities for awardees to further their impactful initiatives, contribute to humanitarian causes, and support national development.

ASEAN Chairman - President of Indonesia, H.E Mr. Joko Widodo presented the ASEAN Award to Mdm. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh

In addition to the roles mentioned above, you are also the Chairwoman of the Global Women's Summit (GSW) in Vietnam. In your opinion, what benefits have Vietnamese women entrepreneurs gained from participating in GSW events?

As an organizer, I am delighted to witness the transformation of Vietnamese women entrepreneurs after each Global Women Summit (GSW), often referred to as the Davos for women, with significant influence due to the convergence of many female politicians, intellectuals, and businesswomen - individuals with high social positions and credibility from around 70 countries and territories.

Moreover, the content is always innovative, updated, and results from professional and serious research by the Organizing Committee to provide insights into major trends, including business trends. The speakers are reputable figures who accurately convey the conference's messages to attending delegates. The well-organized and professional environment fosters friendly interactions, boosting female entrepreneurs' confidence in communication.

Looking back on nearly 23 years (Vietnam's participation since 2001), in roles such as Organizer, Speaker, and Business Delegation Leader, I have learned and gained extensive experience from Ms. Irene Natividad - President of GSW. From organizing preparations, choosing venues and timing, selecting topics, developing agendas, inviting speakers, customer care, and post-event programs... In addition, the style, presentation of content, emotional expressions, frequency of appearances, and even the selection and appointment of GSW Summit Presidents in some countries are very special - Ms. Irene Natividad only selects those who have actively contributed and continuously participated for many years (participants with high commitment) to attract and expand the organization's participation network for sustainable development.

For Vietnamese women entrepreneurs returning from these events, they are more confident, and their public speaking and event organization skills have improved significantly. Many have learned English and confidently use it in communication with international partners and customers, leading to more signed contracts and unique Vietnamese products entering new markets, benefiting from such experiences.

Besides attending the conferences, business delegations also allocate valuable time to explore the host country's markets and tourist attractions. This is extremely meaningful and effective for Vietnamese women entrepreneurs to achieve work- life balance and also to improve sales methods, booth arrangements, modern service delivery, leading to the development of sustainable tourism projects, craft villages, such as Vinh Tien Company's wine cellar and midget park, as well as the " Come to Where You Like" villas at Flamingo Dai Lai, Vinh Phuc, owned by the world-record-holding couple.

Mdm. Vo Thi Anh Xuan - Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Mdm. Irene Natividad - Chairwoman of the Global  Summit of Women (7th and 8th from left) with the Vietnamese women business delegation in DUBAI 2023

What elements do you think Vietnamese women entrepreneurs need to compete on the international stage alongside female entrepreneurs from other countries?

To compete alongside female entrepreneurs from other countries, especially in today's integration context, Vietnamese women entrepreneurs need robust health, solid courage, and must be equipped with integration knowledge, including diplomacy, English proficiency, negotiation, and presentation skills; understanding etiquette and culture, especially enhancing proactivity, confidence, and self-esteem.

In fact, Vietnamese women entrepreneurs have many strengths that female entrepreneurs from other countries want to learn from. International counterparts admire Vietnamese women for being beautiful, charming, intelligent, hardworking, patient, skillful, hospitable... Rarely do female entrepreneurs elsewhere excel in business while also being excellent cooks and dedicated family caretakers like Vietnamese women. We live in a flat world, and exchange, learning, and progressing together should be enhanced through such large-scale conferences.

Mdm. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh and Mdm. Irene Natividad - Chairwoman of the Global Summit of  Women at the bell ringing ceremony - the largest Stock Exchange in DUBAI 2023 

Ahead of this year's Global Women's Summit, what are your expectations and messages to Vietnamese women entrepreneurs?

This year is particularly challenging for economies worldwide, including Vietnam. Businesses, especially those led by women, face many challenges. I hope this year's summit will discuss trends, suggest solutions based on successful case studies from other countries, contribute to raising awareness about global contexts, identifying business bottlenecks, and steering business directions. Besides, applying creatively acquired knowledge from the summit to real business contexts will help Vietnamese women entrepreneurs navigate challenges and achieve sustainable development.

For Vietnamese women entrepreneurs, I urge you to be confident. As the Vietnamese saying goes, ‘Đi một ngày đàng, học một sàng khôn’ (Travel broadens the mind), for those who have decided to invest the time in attending the summit, I hope you will bring back with you valuable lessons, new knowledge, enriching your existing wealth of knowledge ensuring Vietnamese women remain a source of pride for families and society.

Thank you for your insights.

Từ khóa : Jakarta, Indonesia, Hội nghị cấp cao ASEAN, Thủ Tướng Việt Nam Phạm Minh Chính, bà Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Minh, Chủ tịch WELEAD, Giải thưởng ASEAN, Chủ tịch ASEAN, Tổng Thống Indonesia, H.E Mr. Joko Widodo