25 March 2021 | Press Release

VBCWE conducts workshop: ‘Lead the change in the new normal’

Business leaders and senior managers of large enterprises in Vietnam recently attended the workshop “Lead the Change in the New Normal” to discuss the importance of workplace gender equality and women’s leadership roles in building corporate culture and reinforcing team cohesion. This will enable businesses to develop sustainably and lead the change in a time of uncertainty.

The instabilities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have placed urgent demands on economic recovery and sustainable development for businesses. Meanwhile, studies have revealed that promoting workplace gender equality by providing career development opportunities for both sexes and increasing women’s leadership roles are essential factors to enhance team strength and build an ideal work environment. These factors help nurture corporate culture and increase employee engagement—the foundation for business resilience to overcome crisis and develop sustainably.

In that sense, the Vietnam Business Coalition for Women’s Empowerment (VBCWE) cooperated with the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD) under the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to organise the workshop “Lead the Change in the New Normal.” They engaged stakeholders from different fields to discuss business sustainability solutions from a workplace gender equality perspective.

The VBCWE is supported by Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government focused on enhancing workplace gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in South East Asia.

Event highlights

The workshop became an opportune time to discuss and advocate the use of workplace gender equality assessment tools such as EDGE (Economic Dividends for Gender Equality), launched by the World Economic Forum in 2011, and GEARS (Gender Equality Assessment, Results and Strategies), which is only recently being introduced to South East Asian countries, namely the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Speaking at the workshop, Australia’s Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr. Andrew Barnes, said: Companies with diverse leadership and a strong commitment to workplace gender equality have proven more adaptable and innovative, and they ultimately generate better productivity and profits. I am delighted today that we are coming together to launch the GEARS, supported by the Investing in Women program.”

VBCWE and VBCSD also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the event to affirm the two organisations’ mutual commitment to promote gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in the Vietnam business community. Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, General Secretary of VCCI and Executive Vice President of VBCSD, expressed his appreciation of this cooperation as it demonstrates a strategic and shared vision for enhancing the business community’s capability to recover and compete for better global integration through promoting gender equality. “To lead in the new normal, businesses need to think differently, do differently, which requires a new mindset on existing issues. Gender equality is not only the fifth goal among the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, but also needs to be recognized as one of the leverages for long-term business growth, especially in the context of Vietnam where the proportion of women in the labor force is remarkably high,” shared Mr. Vinh.

In the keynote speech, Mr. Pham Hoang Hai, Head of the VBCSD Secretariat, presented an analysis of the essential factors that enable business recovery and sustainable development in the ‘new normal.’ These factors are being integrated in the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI) as a tool to efficiently support corporate governance. Mr. Hai emphasised that CSI 2021 includes adjustments in the Labour indicators, focusing on promoting gender equality and increasing women’s rights in the workplace.

Ms. Le Thanh Hang, VBCWE’s Executive Director, officially introduced GEARS to the business community in Vietnam. This is a tool developed by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) in Australia, adapted by VBCWE for the Vietnamese context, as a resource for companies to understand gaps, opportunities and strengths of their current strategies in relation to workplace gender equality, thereby improving business results.

The talk was followed by a panel discussion with the participation of Mr. Vinh; Madam Ha Thu Thanh, Chair of Deloitte Vietnam and of VBCWE; and Mr. Nguyen Minh Nhat, Board Member of Alphanam Group and CEO of Alphanam E&C. The discussion was moderated by Ms. Hang Le, VBCWE’s Executive Director. The speakers discussed factors that could further enhance corporate governance efficiency and business sustainability. They particularly highlighted the importance of workplace gender equality and women’s leadership roles. Business representatives also shared effective policies, strategies and experiences in applying international standards to help promote gender values ​​in the workplace.

Notably, Alphanam was awarded EDGE Certification at MOVE level, the assessment tool’s second highest tier, joining only 50 companies worldwide who can claim this achievement.

This article was originally published on the VBCWE website.

For more details, please contact:
Nguyễn Huệ Linh (Ms.) – Marketing & Communications Lead, VBCWE
Mobile: 0913 716 725 | Email: linh.nguyen@vbcwe.com

 

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