HÀ NỘI — The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement offers opportunities and better working environments for female entrepreneurs and workers, but also poses several challenges for them, participants heard in Hà Nội this week.

Speaking at an international conference entitled “Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – Opportunities and Challenges to businesswomen and female entrepreneurs and labourers,” Nguyễn Thị Thu Hà, president of Việt Nam Women’s Union (VWU) said that the number of businesses owned by women account for only 25 per cent of the total nationwide, most of which operate on a small scale.

Women face more difficulties than men in realising business ideas as well as attracting resources, she said.

VWU has launched a series of activities to support women in the context of global integration. The support includes influencing policy, offering training in entrepreneurship and business administration, suggesting how to approach financial and credit resources, in addition to developing a network of female entrepreneurs, and providing apprentice training for female workers in rural areas, Hà said.

According to Đinh Thị Thu Hà, director of Hà Căn Trading Limited Company and vice president of the Female Entrepreneur Association of Thái Bình Province, female workers can enjoy the economic value chain and need to be equipped with labour knowledge and necessary skills to lift themselves out of poverty.

To survive and develop in international integration, businesses must have knowledge in terms of legal systems, improving their products’ quality, how to create unique products, make profits and create employment for workers, she said. — VNS