Empowering the next generation of female leaders: The French Chamber of Commerce (CCIFV) leads the conversation on gender equality and women in leadership. From left to right: Leila Bello, Betty Pallard, Dzung Dang, Claire Rosseler, and Christophe Cougnaud (moderator), partner at Mazars Legal Vienam. — VNS Photo Lê Việt Dũng

HÀ NỘI — When it comes to promoting gender equality and respect for women's rights in schools, the first thing to do is talk openly about the topic.

That was the remark made by Leila Bello, director of La Petite Ecole Hanoi, at the round-table discussion and networking "Women Driving Change as Entrepreneurs and Leaders" by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Việt Nam on Friday.

She said talking openly about gender equality is essential for raising the awareness of girls having the same rights as boys in schools. It is equally possible for a girl to be a classroom leader as for a boy.

Another thing to do is to de-foster stereotypes. If teachers put the boys with toy cars, trucks, and airplanes and girls with dolls, makeup, and dresses, they give them the perception of the roles that ought to be performed by boys and girls.

"It's up to us to make sure that the toys we're giving the younger generation reflect what we want them to see in the future," said Leila.

Betty Pallard, vice-chairwoman of the EuroCham Green Growth Committee and CVO at LinkPower, underlined the narratives of feminine and masculine energies in the green growth sector.

"In the field of sustainability development, it is interesting that we don't talk about women and men, but a big call for feminine energy that lies in everyone," said Betty.

She also said it is easier to run businesses in Việt Nam as a woman because there is a strong female community in the country where everyone is really helping each other.

Dzung Dang, director of Mazars Legal Vietnam, believes that being successful as a woman comprises professional achievements, a wide area of knowledge, work-life balance, and personal satisfaction.

"You can achieve work-life balance when you have a certain level of flexibility in your work," said Dzung.

She also revealed that 75 per cent of her legal team is female and her company has programmes to support female employees in terms of physical and mental health.

Claire Rosseler, managing director of Air Liquide Vietnam, said her company launched a plan called Advance in 2021, aiming to have 35 per cent of female engineers and managers in its global workforce by 2025.

"In Việt Nam, we have already reached 34 per cent, very close to the target," said Claire.

She said Air Liquide also deployed initiatives to promote gender equality, including a notable one in 2023 that involved teaching managers about the importance of gender diversity and measures to remove the barriers that prevent women from thriving in an environment. — VNS