By D. Arul Rajoo, Bernama,
Hanoi : The number of women involved in businesses worldwide and occupying key decision-making positions are rising steadily, with more having the power to decide purchases made by their companies, the Global Summit of Women was told today.
Summit president Irene Natividad said the majority of new small businesses in the United States were owned by women while one third of companies in Vietnam were headed by them.
“Women are playing bigger and bigger roles in every part of the world. They are just not buying for their family but also making purchases for their work place,” she said at the ‘Public/Private Sector Partnerships: Advancing Girls and Women’s Economic Opportunities’ ministerial roundtable here.
Natividad, a Filipina native, who runs her own public affairs firm, GlobeWomen, based in Washington, said business sectors should pay more attention on women executives as they were now deciding what their companies should buy.
“They are now in every sectors, be it education, technology or agriculture,” said Natividad, as over 900 delegates from 72 countries gather in the Vietnam capital for the next three days for the annual summit, dubbed the “The Davos for Women”.
Among the participants are Mozambique Prime Minister Luisa Diogo, Vietnam vice-president Nguyen Thi Doan, Malaysia’s Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen, top executives from numerous global companies and business and government officials.
Natividad said women had come a long way in just three decades to become an integral part of their respective country’s economic growth, but they had yet to reach that level-playing field which allows them to become full leaders in every area of public life.
She said during the 18th edition of the summit themed, “Women and Asia – Driving the Global Economy,” leaders, including over 30 government officials, would centre their dialogues and discussions on best practices in public-private sector partnerships, business trends, practical strategies for business growth and skill-building.
She said the Summit would enable women to explore two of the major forces which would impact the 21st century global market place and the Asia-Pacific economies.
Among topics to be discussed are expanding micro enterprise sales, engaging young women in entrepreneurship, innovative financing, closing the pay gap, avoiding cultural chasms and fighting against trafficking of women.