HCM CITY — Fifty prominent women in various fields including politics, business, social and charitable activities, science, education, communications, entertainment, arts, and sports were honoured by Forbes Vietnam magazine at a ceremony held in HCM City on Wednesday.

Việt Nam’s 50 Most Influential Women for 2017 included Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, Chairwoman of the National Assembly; Tôn Nữ Thị Ninh, the country’s former ambassador to the EU and Belgium; Đàm Bích Thủy, founder and principal of Fulbright University Vietnam; Hoàng Ngọc Bích, chairwoman of the Việt Nam Autism Network; Cao Thị Ngọc Dung, chairwoman and general director of Phú Nhuận Jewelry Joint Stock Company; and Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo, general director of Vietjet Air.

Forbes Vietnam said though women’s participation in politics is much lower than that of men, many women hold positions of great influence.

In business, the number of prominent women is higher, and their influence can be clearly seen from the leading positions of their companies.

In the fields of social work, science and education, there are women pioneers in meaningful activities like charity work, efforts to protect the rights of vulnerable people, children and women and educate children.

The field of media-entertainment also has many outstanding women.

Forbes applies what is dubbed the Forbes methodology to draw up an annual global Most Powerful Women list, and tweaks the process to fit the Vietnamese context.

It uses four metrics to come up with its list of Việt Nam’s 50 Most Influential Women: financial influence (net worth and company revenues), media presence, spheres of positive influence, and impact level both within the context of each woman’s field and outside. — VNS