Nine Companies Honored with WEPs Awards

Nine Vietnamese companies were recently honored with the National WEPs Award in Hanoi and five top-ranked companies will represent Vietnam at UN Women Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards scheduled for December 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand.

This activity is part of the framework of the Economic Empowerment of Asian Women Program called WeEmpowerAsia organized by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the European Union (EU) together with the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

The WEPs Award was launched in September 2020 in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region to encourage, recognize and honor companies that have made good use of the Women’s Empowerment Principles to execute the Law on Gender Equality in the Workplace and spread this initiative to the Vietnamese business community. The award ceremony was held on the 10th anniversary of Women’s Empowerment Principles, a joint initiative of UN Women and UN Global Compact, consisting of seven steps that businesses can use to promote gender equality in the workplace, in the marketplace and in the community.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh - Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council, member of the Jury and representative of the Prize Organizing Committee - emphasized multidimensional benefits of applying the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in the workplace. “Boosting gender-inclusive employment and career promotion opportunities in the workplace, supply chain and community makes business sense. Gender equality is the foundation for sustainable growth and the prosperity of each country and each business,” she added.

Ms. Elisa Fernandez Saenz, Chief Representative of UN Women in Vietnam, Representative of the Awards Organizing Committee, said, “The WEPs Awards offers business leaders and companies a unique opportunity to be recognized for their leadership to advance gender equality and make their efforts visible amongst their customers, employees and partners, and inspire others to take action for wider impact.”

Winners of WEPs Awards:

1. Nestle Vietnam Company - winning two categories: Community and Industry Engagement and Gender-inclusive Workplace;

2. Unilever Vietnam Company - winning two categories: Gender-inclusive Workplace and Leadership Commitment;

3. Friesland Campina Company - winning two categories Gender-responsive Marketplace and Gender-inclusive Workplace;

4. Madam Thai Huong, Founder, Chairwoman of TH Group's Strategy Council won the Leadership Commitment WEPs Awards

5. Madam Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of BRG Group won the Leadership Commitment WEPs Awards

6. Phu Nhuan Jewelry Joint Stock Company (PNJ) won the category of Community and Industry Engagement WEPs Awards;

7. Sai Gon Food Joint Stock Company won the category of Gender-inclusive Workplace WEPs Awards;

8. Hien Le Group won the category of Gender-inclusive Workplace WEPs Awards;

9. Sao Thai Duong Joint Stock Company won the category of “Covid-19 Action WEPs Awards.

By Anh Mai, Vietnam Business Forum