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| PM Pham Minh Chinh (third from right) presents flowers to congratulate the Vietnam Women's Union at the ceremony in Hanoi on October 14. (Photo: VNA) |
Praising the 33 projects shortlisted for the final round and the winners, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly valued the VWU’s fruitful implementation of the plan on supporting women to start businesses, which he said has substantially contributed to the nationwide startup movement, gender equality, and comprehensive and sustainable national development.
He emphasised women’s enormous dedications to national construction and safeguarding throughout history, and that entrepreneurship and innovation are important impetuses for the development of each country.
Over the recent past, the Party and State have issued and effectively implemented many policies and mechanisms to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation. Women, who account for more than 50% of the population and nearly 48% of the workforce in the country, have been given special attention and favourable conditions, he noted.
Women’s contributions via startups have greatly helped with not only national economic development but also the settlement of social issues, political and social stability, and improvement of people’s material and spiritual lives, according to the Government leader.
PM Chinh applauded the theme of the 2023 competition, which focuses on the capitalisation of native resources to encourage entrepreneurship among women as well as the preservation and promotion of traditional culture to create new products and services, minimise environmental impact, and create job opportunities for local communities.
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| PM Pham Minh Chinh (third from right) and officials launch the women startup competition 2024 at the ceremony in Hanoi on October 14. (Photo: VNA) |
He said that he is impressed with women’s bold startup ideas and efforts to revive traditional crafts, optimise their hometowns’ tourism resources, and make use of all the things blessed by nature from bamboo, rice to herbal plants to create high-value products deeply imbued with Vietnam’s cultural identities.
The PM voiced his respect for remarkable efforts by the women in mountainous and ethnic minority areas, disabled ones, or those with disadvantages to show their strong entrepreneurial spirit.
As the startup ecosystem in Vietnam has yet to live up to its potential or keep up with others in the region and the world, women still encounter an array of difficulties for starting businesses, and the country is facing global economic “headwinds”, women should make stronger efforts by themselves. Besides, the Government, ministries, sectors, localities, VWU units at all level, domestic and foreign enterprises also need to support and create conditions for women in this regard, PM Chinh pointed out.
VWU President Ha Thi Nga said the VWU had proposed and been assigned by the PM to chair the implementation of the plan on supporting women to start businesses during 2017 - 2025.
Over the last six years, more than 80,000 business ideas of women have received assistance, over 70,000 women started their businesses, nearly 5,000 women-managed cooperative groups and cooperatives been set up, and over 60,000 newly-established firms of women given advice to improve capacity and gaining access to resources for development.
The annual women startup competition is an outstanding activity in this plan, attracting the participation of women across the country, she said, adding that this year’s competition received 2,024 entries, 53.8% of which are in the form of cooperatives or cooperative groups.
At the ceremony, PM Chinh and VWU leaders presented awards to winners and insignia to the 33 shortlisted entries./.