PM Phạm Minh Chính (third from right) and officials launch the Women's Startup Competition 2024 at the ceremony in Hanoi on October 14. VNA photo

HÀ NỘI – Winners of the Women's Startup Competition 2023 were awarded at a ceremony held by the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Central Committee in Hà Nội on October 14.

Praising the 33 projects shortlisted for the final round and the winners, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính highly valued the VWU’s fruitful implementation of the plan on supporting women to start businesses, which he said substantially contributed to the nationwide startup movement, gender equality, and comprehensive and sustainable national development.

He emphasised women’s enormous dedication 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 per cent of the population and nearly 48 per cent of the workforce in the country, have been given special attention and favourable conditions, according to the Government leader.

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.

PM Chính 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.

He said that he was impressed by 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 Việt Nam’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 Việt Nam had yet to live up to its potential or keep up with others in the region and the world, women still encountered an array of difficulties for starting businesses, and the country was facing global economic “headwinds”, women should make stronger efforts by themselves. Besides, the Government, ministries, sectors, localities, VWU units at all levels, domestic and foreign enterprises also needed to support and create conditions for women in this regard, PM Chính pointed out.

VWU President Hà Thị 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 received assistance, over 70,000 women started their businesses, nearly 5,000 women-managed cooperative groups and cooperatives were set up, and over 60,000 newly-established firms of women were given advice to improve capacity and gained access to resources for development.

The annual women's startup competition was 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 per cent of which are in the form of cooperatives or cooperative groups. VNA/VNS