After 11 years, the number of female scientists increased by more than 22 thousand people.

On July 25, at the Ho Chi Minh City Academy of Officials, the Vietnam Association of Women Intellectuals and the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Women Intellectuals co-organized a National Science Conference with the theme "Science and technology for sustainable development: The role of women intellectuals in the 50-year journey of liberating the South and unifying the country".

The workshop was attended by Ms. Truong My Hoa, former Secretary of the Party Central Committee, former Vice President, former President of the Vietnam Women's Union; Ms. Tran Thi Dieu Thuy, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, and more than 150 delegates who are leaders and former leaders of central ministries and branches, Ho Chi Minh City, representatives of the Women's Union, departments, branches, Association of Women Intellectuals of provinces and cities and many outstanding female scientists .

Delegates attending the workshop.

According to Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop, President of the Vietnam Association of Women Intellectuals, the conference is an academic forum where female scientists, managers and experts share knowledge, research results, technology applications and contributions to the country's sustainable development over the past 50 years.

The goal is to connect the network of female intellectuals nationwide, contributing to raising social awareness of the essential role of women in science and technology, thereby proposing solutions to promote their potential and creativity, solving issues of social security, gender equality, and challenges in the digital age. Contributing significantly to the implementation of Resolution 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo .

Important force in science and technology development

Speaking at the workshop, Associate Professor Dr. Truong Thi Hien, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Intellectual Women, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Intellectual Women, affirmed: "In recent times, the team of intellectual women with knowledge, enthusiasm and creativity, is an important force contributing to the development of science and technology and the building of a sustainable society. They not only actively participate in research, application and transfer of scientific knowledge, but also play a role in strategic orientation, policy making and promoting sustainable development activities."

Special performance at the Workshop by the City's Female Artists Club and Executive Committee members of the Ho Chi Minh City Women Intellectuals Association

Ms. Le Thi Khanh Van, Director of the Center for Science and Technology Application and Entrepreneurship, Vietnam Association of Women Intellectuals, pointed out that: Statistics from the Department of Information show that in the past 11 years, female scientists have increased significantly: From 56,846 people (accounting for 44%) to 79,078 people (accounting for 46%) in the total number of human resources in the research and development team. This affirms the active and increasing participation of women in the field of science and technology.

From an educational perspective, Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Kim Oanh, Head of the Faculty of Environment, Head of the Department of Scientific Research Development, Van Lang University, said: Before the 1990s, the proportion of women in engineering and technology was very modest, often accounting for only about 5-10% of the total number of students at technical universities such as Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology or University of Natural Sciences.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Thi Kim Oanh, Head of the Faculty of Environment, Head of the Department of Scientific Research Development, Van Lang University, spoke at the workshop.

But now, this number has changed significantly. By 2025, the proportion of female students studying in STEM majors at schools such as Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Sciences, University of Information Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education... is increasing. In the 2022-2023 school year, the proportion of female students enrolling in Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology is 22%, the highest in its 65-year history. In particular, many high-tech majors such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data (Big Data), biomedical engineering, robotics and automation have also begun to attract strong interest from female students, demonstrating changes in career perspectives and social awareness.

Currently, the number of female lecturers can reach 30%-40% of the total number of lecturers at STEM universities in Ho Chi Minh City, many of whom have achieved the title of associate professor or professor, especially in fields such as biotechnology, environment, chemistry, food technology and information technology.

Barriers still exist

In addition to highlighting their remarkable achievements, the delegates also frankly pointed out that the role of female intellectuals in the fields of science, technology and sustainable development has not yet been fully promoted. Many female intellectuals still face many difficulties and challenges in their studies, research, work, as well as in balancing their careers and family life.

Delegates presented papers at the conference.

Dr. Tran Thi Mai Phuoc, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, shared: "Many talented and dedicated female intellectuals cannot invest in developing their careers because of the burden of family on their shoulders. Gender stereotypes are deeply rooted in Asians in general and Vietnamese in particular. On the other hand, stemming from "gender characteristics" - women's motherhood. Whether they want it or not, the process of pregnancy, childbirth and childcare of women has a certain impact on their work, especially important jobs. Therefore, many leaders are still afraid of this issue, causing women to lose many opportunities for advancement."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Oanh, Association of Women Intellectuals of the Ho Chi Minh City Academy of Officials, presented a paper on the role of female intellectuals in spreading Vietnamese culture to the world through digital platforms. She also pointed out that most female intellectuals come from the field of social sciences and humanities, so access to digital tools such as film editing software, graphic design, AI to support content creation, data analysis platforms, etc. is still quite limited. This gap makes it impossible for many female intellectuals, despite having good ideas and rich cultural content, to transform them into attractive media products that are easily accessible to the international public.

MSc. Nguyen Thi Phuong Oanh, Association of Women Intellectuals of Ho Chi Minh City Academy of Officials, speaking at the Workshop

In addition, delegates also pointed out many barriers such as: The distribution of female human resources in Science and Technology is still uneven among high-tech industries and fields. While the biological, food, environmental and biomedical industries have a high proportion of women, the mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, automation, and information and communication technology industries still record a low proportion of women.

Specific support policies for women in scientific research and startups are still lacking and inconsistent. Support for research time, maternity leave for female scientists, or policies to attract and retain high-quality female intellectuals are not really flexible and suitable for gender characteristics.

At the workshop, Ms. Pham Phuong Thao, former Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, former Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, expressed: "We need to pay more attention to training female cadres. Pay attention to selecting and appointing worthy people in a timely manner. Increase the proportion of female cadres in leadership and management, especially female leaders at the policy-making level. Regularly meet and listen to suggestions and recommendations from the Women Intellectuals Association so that they can perform well their roles as consultants, advisors, supervisors, and social critics in all fields. Have policies to support scientific research and carry out creative research topics of female intellectuals. The National Assembly needs to pay more attention to gender mainstreaming in the process of building and perfecting the legal system...".

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/sau-11-nam-so-luong-nha-khoa-hoc-nu-tang-them-hon-22-nghin-nguoi-20250725162715996.htm