Women executives and entrepreneurs led by Corporate Women Directors International (CWDI) President Irene Natividad and former Vice President of Vietnam Truong My Hoa opened the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) today to salute the significant contributions Vietnamese women have made to the growth of the Vietnamese economy. Brought together by CWDI, a Washington, DC-based organization which researches and promotes women on boards globally, the event took place prior to Vietnam’s hosting of the APEC Public-Private Dialogue on Women and the Economy in Hue this week.
CWDI Chair Irene Natividad, Madame Truong My Hoa, and Acting Chairman of HOSE Le Hai Tra at Market Open ceremony
“It’s important that women are seen as part of business traditions such as the ringing of the opening bell at the stock exchange,” states CWDI Chair Natividad. “Vietnamese women, whether they are CEOs, board directors, executives, or entrepreneurs of businesses large or small, have been drivers of tremendous growth in the Vietnamese economy over the past 30 years. We are pleased to bring together some of these successful women today to salute their achievements.” Acting Chairman of HOSE Le Hai Tra welcomed the guests to the event and reiterated HOSE’s support for women in business.
CWDI Chair Natividad hits the gong to open the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange.
While Vietnam has been known for its strong contingent of women entrepreneurs which account for 1/3 of all business-owners — one of the highest percentages in the world — recent CWDI research also revealed a strong presence of women holding board seats in Vietnam’s largest listed companies. The 2017 CWDI Report on Women Board Directors in the Asia-Pacific Region showed that Vietnamese women’s strong participation in the nation’s economy is reflected in an above-average percentage of women on the boards of its 100 largest companies. At 16.4%, Vietnam’s percentage of women directors is greater than the region’s average percentage of 12.8% and places fifth out of 20 economies in the region behind Australia (27.4%), New Zealand (21.7%), Malaysia (17.5%), and Cambodia (16.5%).
Audience of 60 women entrepreneurs and executives listen to CWDI Chair Natividad shares CWDI research on women board directors in Asia-Pacific region.
