By Xinhua,
Hanoi : Vietnam, a new “tiger” economy in Asia, will, for the first time, host the 18th Global Summit of Woman (GSW) early next month with the expected participation of over 850 women business, professional and governmental leaders from 61 countries and regions, GSW president Irene Natividad said here Wednesday.
During the summit to be held in the capital of Hanoi on June 5-7 with the theme of “Women and Asia – Driving the Global Economy,” leaders, including over 30 government officials will center their dialogues and discussions on best practices in public-private sector partnerships, business trends, practical strategies for business growth, and skill building, Irene Natividad told reporters.
“The 2008 Global Summit of Women explores two of the major forces that will impact the 21st century global marketplace women and the Asia-Pacific economies. What women can do to access those markets and what we can learn from the women business leaders from the region will form the frame of this global gathering,” she said, noting that the world’s center of gravity has shifted from the United States and Europe to the Asia-Pacific region led by China and India.
There will be a pre-summit ministerial roundtable christened “Public-Private Sector Partnerships: Advancing Girls’ and Women’s Economic Opportunities” on June 5, and plenary sessions on mega trends affecting the world’s economies, corporate social responsibility, opportunities in the Asia-Pacific, and impact on women’s health on June 6-7.
There will be also breakout sessions on such topics as expanding micro enterprise sales, engaging young women in entrepreneurship, innovative financing, closing the pay gap, avoiding cultural chasms, and fighting against trafficking of women, she said.
The 17th GSW in Germany last June was attended by nearly 1,000 representatives, including 44 women cabinet members, from 95 countries and regions.
The Washington-based GSW is a non-profit organization headed by an international planning committee of women leaders from different parts of the world.