Enhancing Corporate Competitiveness through Women’s Empowerment in the Workplace

WEPs comprise seven steps that businesses can take to empower women and promote gender equality at the workplace, marketplace and community. With guidance provided by the Principles, businesses can empower women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors and throughout all levels of economic activity.

With the participation of more than 40 CEOs and equivalent officers, the workshop provided insights into WEPs, particularly accentuating their benefits from economic and social perspectives. It also facilitated the experience sharing and discussion among participants on how to effectively apply WEPs in business.

During the event, 40 business leaders signed the CEO Statement of Support for the Women's Empowerment Principles. By signing the Statement, CEOs demonstrate leadership on gender equality and women's empowerment and encourage fellow business leaders to do the same.

The global growth of the initiative, from 39 CEO Champions in June 2010 to 1,056 CEO signatories as of now, signals the strong business case for empowering women and mainstreaming gender throughout business operations and value chains. Supporters of the Principles come from over 67 countries and over 40 sectors representing industries as diverse as financial services, construction, telecommunications, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals. As of now 24 companies in Viet Nam declared their commitment to the Principles.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, VCCI Deputy Secretary General cum VBCSD Secretary General stressed: "Businesses shouldn't just consider empowering women a responsibility. As a matter of fact, those companies who well conduct women's empowerment policy are benefiting from productivity improvement and lasting competitive advantages".

Speaking at the workshop, Ms. Shoko Ishikawa, UN Women Viet Nam Country Representative stressed: "Worldwide, women account for half of the working age population. Workplaces that underutilize women's talents are simply missing out on half of the available human resources. Leveraging the full potential of women's economic participation is not just a moral imperative, it is also good economics."

Mrs.Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh, Chairwoman of Viet Nam Women Entrepreneur Council (VWEC) shared at the workshop: "Investing in women as well as empowering women at workplace is not only about the implementation of the Law on Gender Equality and social responsibility but also an investment in improving competitiveness and building sustainable development of firms, especially under the current context of international integration with requirements of global standards including labour criteria".

The workshop will be followed by practical training courses on integrating WEPs in workplaces' policies for enterprises.

Media contact:

• Hoang Bich Thao, Communications Officer, UN Women Viet Nam, Email: hoang.thao@unwomen.org
• Can Viet Hoang, Communications Officer, Viet Nam Business Council for Sustainable Development, VCCI, Email:hoangcv@vcci.com.vn