Ethnic minority women entrepreneurs in Vietnam are often required to juggle multiple roles as business owners, mothers, wives, community members and more. Within each of these roles are multitudes of other roles, such as women business owners also occupying the roles of producer, packager, marketing promoter, IT technician, accountant, trade negotiator, retail client server, stock transporter, etc. Added to these business roles, as mothers and wives women are also cooks, cleaners, nurses, drivers, conflict mediators, school tutors, confidants, household administrators and coordinators and so much more! This multi-directional pull often leads to women shouldering impossible workloads and very little time to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge and networks to advance their business potential.

The Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership project within the GREAT program tackles both the business and leadership skills needed to improve women’s business operations as well as their personal growth as leaders of social change. When provided with the right support and resources, ethnic minority women entrepreneurs can increase their businesses revenue, empower themselves and their staff, and create positive change in their communities.

Two recent stories from Lao Cai and Son La provinces exemplify the transformative impact of business and leadership training. These stories showcase how women entrepreneurs, after participating in capacity-building programs, applied their newfound knowledge and skills to achieve remarkable results in their businesses and personal lives.

Shifting from doing it all to leading and empowering others

Ms. Dinh Thi Tuyen a Muong woman and director of Thanh Cong Agricultural and Forestry Community Service Cooperative, a passion fruit farming cooperative in Son La province, knows firsthand the challenges of running a business while managing a household. With a background in pharmaceuticals and a love for agriculture, she assumed the role of director, overseeing all aspects of the cooperative’s operations.

Like many ethnic minority women entrepreneurs, Tuyen initially took on every task herself, from assigning labor and participating in planting and harvesting to packaging and sales. She felt compelled to handle everything personally, fearing that tasking others would compromise product quality. This approach left her overwhelmed, with little time for her family or strategic planning for the cooperative’s growth.

A turning point came when Tuyen participated in a leadership skills training course facilitated by Son La Women’s Union. The training helped her realise that her direct input and micro-management of all business responsibilities was inefficient, unproductive and unsustainable. Ms Tuyen came to see that true leadership is about developing, guiding and empowering others and building a work environment where staff can bring their best selves to work.

This training is included in a series of leadership skills courses aimed at enhancing the capabilities of women entrepreneurs, particularly ethnic minority women, facilitated by the provincial Women’s Unions and iChange Center. The training content is based on direct feedback and needs identified through in-depth interviews and surveys with these women.

Ms Tuyen in a leadership skills training class

Applying her training, Tuyen was able to make better managerial decisions such as delegating the packaging process, a task she could easily train her staff to handle. She developed clear guidelines for sorting passion fruit by weight and size and trained two local women. Staff became proficient within a week freeing Tuyen from this time-consuming task. Tuyen was then able to focus on sales and marketing, leading to increased revenue for the cooperative.

Tuyen also found more time for her family. She learned to better balance her time, prioritising family alongside her cooperative duties. She now more actively communicates with her husband, making joint decisions on finances and cooperative development. Her husband has become more supportive of her work, sharing both challenges and successes. This strengthened bond alleviates her burdens, allowing her to focus on the cooperative’s sustainable growth.

Tuyen in her passion fruit garden

Tuyen not only improved business operations, she also made a positive impact for her community. By identifying key business skills and relevant training, she was able to provide stable jobs for local women, enabling them to earn a living without having to migrate for work. This contributes to the well-being of families and the sustainable development of the community.

As the cooperative plans to expand its cultivation area to over 100 hectares in the next two years, Tuyen is confident in her ability to train and empower more local people to contribute to the cooperative’s success. She realised that instead of just assigning tasks, she needed to improve the working environment where local staff, especially women, can contribute ideas and develop themselves. She now encourages staff to share more efficient work methods and acknowledges their contributions. As a result, one of the women suggested a more logical layout for the packaging area, which has helped reduce travel time. Tuyen also supports staff to attend training on quality management skills, which has enabled staff to take on more responsibilities within the cooperative.

From “team’s shoulder” to “team leader”

Ms. Truong Thi Kieu Linh a Giay woman and owner of a business producing traditional herbal yeast and wine in Lao Cai province faced similar challenges in managing her small team. Inheriting the traditional wine-making business from her husband’s family, Linh assumed the majority of responsibilities as she struggled to delegate tasks and trust her employees.

This not only created bottlenecks in production but also strained her relationship with her staff. Linh knew that her approach was not working, but didn’t know how to change.

Linh’s breakthrough came when she attended a training course on team management skills for women entrepreneurs in Lao Cai province. The training provided her with new perspectives and practical tools to improve her leadership style. She learned the importance of trusting her employees, understanding and harnessing their strengths, and creating an environment where they could thrive.

Linh involving in production work

After the training, Linh started to get to know her employees better, building rapport, understanding their individual skills and supporting work that aligned with their aspirations. She encouraged open communication, listened to their ideas, and created opportunities for them to showcase their talents.

The team responded to Linh’s leadership by becoming more innovative, collaborative, and productive. They shared ideas, contributed to product and sales improvement such as refining formulas for product durability and suggesting more effective customer outreach, and supported each other through challenges. As a result, Linh was able to lead both improved product quality and bolstered work efficiency. Linh says she is no longer burdened by micro-management and feels a renewed sense of purpose and fulfillment as a leader.

Linh’s team members producing traditional herbal yeast

Linh’s story demonstrates the power of a leader’s trust and empowerment in her staff. By shifting from a “team’s shoulder” to a “team leader,” she not only improved her business outcomes but also created a positive and supportive work environment for her employees.

Ingredients to make traditional herbal yeast of the Giay ethnic minority

The stories of Tuyen and Linh highlight the transformative impact of leadership capacity building and empowerment on women entrepreneurs. By providing them with the necessary skills, knowledge and support, these programs unlock their potential and enable them to overcome challenges, grow their businesses, and contribute to their communities.

These are some of the tangible success stories of the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership (WEL) project supported by the GREAT program funded by the Australian Government. Through this project, GREAT is collaborating with business and leadership skills service providers to enhance the access of women entrepreneurs to better and more relevant skills with which to build their business and leadership capabilities. These skills are critical in order to further build women’s confidence and decision-making abilities, support more effective engagement and shared decision making between women and their husbands, and thereby build household resilience against economic and other shocks.