French female astronaut comes to Saigon ward to talk about 'women's grace'

France's first female astronaut Claudie Haigneré and Ms. Ton Nu Thi Ninh discuss the role of Vietnamese women in leadership, science and technology.

Panorama of the "Women of Impact" conference at Bitexco building (Saigon ward) on the evening of September 25 - Photo: THANH HIEP

On the evening of September 25, the French Institute in Vietnam in collaboration with the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (CCIFV) organized the workshop "Inspiring Women - Perspectives on Leadership, Science and Innovation" at Bitexco Financial Tower (Saigon Ward).

The event, which aims to honor the role of women in the fields of high technology, scientific research and diplomacy , was attended by Ms. Claudie Haigneré - France's first female astronaut and former French Minister in charge of research and new technology.

Former Deputy Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Ton Nu Thi Ninh, Airbus Representative Director in Vietnam Hoang Tri Mai... also shared at the workshop.

Dreams open new doors

From a rheumatologist, Ms. Claudie Haigneré pursued her dream of becoming a scientific astronaut - Photo: THANH HIỆP

Sharing her journey to becoming France’s first female astronaut, Ms. Haigneré said that she started out as a rheumatologist. However, she had a dream since childhood and applied to become a scientific astronaut as soon as she had the opportunity.

Thanks to this "door-pushing" action, she was selected to participate in two space missions in 1996 and 2001.

She shared: "My childhood dream really motivated me. When I applied to be an astronaut, I didn't know that the number of female candidates only accounted for 10%. Out of 1,000 candidates, only 7 were selected and I was the only female. I only knew this when all the microphones in the press conference room were turned to me."

Ms Haigneré said that being in space opened many doors for her, including becoming a minister. The former French astronaut said that these successes were partly built on diversity.

“One of the pillars of my life is collaboration and diversity,” she said. “I trained in Russia for 10 years and witnessed the first steps of international cooperation in the construction of the International Space Station (ISS).

That means collaboration built through diversity, not just in terms of gender, but also in terms of culture, skills, competencies and generations. Diversity is a really important asset for me."

'CHARME' female leadership model

Ms. Claudie Haigneré (center) and guests shared their perspectives on female leadership models at the workshop on the evening of September 25 - Photo: THANH HIEP

Ms. Haigneré recommends that women exercise leadership according to the principle of CHARME (French: graceful).

C stands for conviction, H for humility, and M for motivation. A can stand for assertiveness or authenticity. R for responsibility and resilience. E can stand for equity, empathy, or exemplarity.

Former Deputy Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Ton Nu Thi Ninh shared at the workshop - Photo: THANH HIEP

Ms. Ton Nu Thi Ninh highly appreciated the CHARME approach. However, she affirmed that when placed in the context of Vietnamese culture, history and politics - economy, it is necessary to start from identity.

Ms. Ninh emphasized: "You need to know in this challenging world, who you are and where you stand... We are women. We should not compare ourselves to the male model. Women have their own version. Each person must answer and decide for themselves what that means.

When you're on boards, CEO or president of a large company, you need to maintain your feminine side for all it can offer."

Vietnamese women love science

Many students from universities in Ho Chi Minh City came to listen to the guests' sharing - Photo: THANH HIEP

Talking about the ability of women in the field of science and technology, Ms. Ton Nu Thi Ninh affirmed that Vietnamese women have enough strength and perseverance to take on any job.

Ms. Ninh shared: "I believe that Vietnamese people in general, including Vietnamese women, love science. If given the right conditions, I believe they can excel.

Recently I met a young female doctor in Hanoi who was accepted into the International Academy of Young Scientists. This proves that if they continue on this path, Vietnamese women can make good contributions to science.

Vietnamese women are very strong. Don't be fooled by the pretty girls in flowing ao dai. They are not strong in muscles but have inner strength and personality.

NGOC DUC - THANH HIEP

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nu-phi-hanh-gia-phap-den-phuong-sai-gon-noi-ve-duyen-dang-cua-phu-nu-20250925203929749.htm