Recently 170 CEOs of the Hanoi Association for Entrepreneur Women (HNEW) met to celebrate a successful year in 2010 and welcoming the new year with new hopes and new commitments.
Denmark has since 2006 supported HNEW when the association was just a network consisting of 23 members. This support is part of the Danish commitment to promote gender equality, especially women’s economic role.
With the Danish support, the capacity of the association has been improved greatly over the year, enabling them to provide stronger and more professional support to its members.
Denmark and the HNEW have cooperated in conducting a series of training on gender, labour rights, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS for both managers and workers in the association’s member enterprises. Six cultural centers at the member enterprises have been built where workers, especially female workers can associate and discuss issues of their interests, watch television, read newspapers and increase social connections among themselves.
In the long term, the HNEW plans in-house capacity to undertake training activities and thereby reduce the costs that the member enterprises have to pay for training. The model of cultural clubs has been also supported by the member enterprises who consider it to be their responsibility to improve the work and life of their workers.
‘We are extremely satisfied with the cooperation we have had with the association. A 23 member network a few years ago has now become a 170 member association, which has a powerful voice in business circles in Hanoi. We believe that the association can play an important role in the future development of business in Hanoi due to its creativeness and innovation’ said Danish Ambassador John Nielsen at the 2011 gala of the HNEW.
The annual gala is an opportunity for the association to review its performance and set out targets for the next year. Awards were given to active members and new members were admitted in. The gala is also the time for the members of the association to get together and have fun after a hard-working year.
