Invest and take the lead in business, Vietnamese women advised

Zuckerberg, CEO of Zuckerberg Media and sister of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, said that a woman’s achievements are always seen in the light of the man next to her and that is a perspective she has been trying to change.

She said did this by funding female entrepreneurs to accomplish their dreams. Zuckerberg was speaking at an online forum held Wednesday on "The Role of Women in the Future of Investing."

"Women should be investing in everything. Put your money where your mouth is, that's the best way to learn about something," she said. Randi Zuckerberg has invested in more than 50 startups in the U.S.

Her co-speaker Le Diep Kieu Trang, a former director of Facebook’s operations in Vietnam, said Vietnamese women and their global peers face many networking challenges in a "man’s world." She said investment funds tend to pay more attention to startups led by men.

"Women should not be afraid. They should fight fairly with men to get the attention and the privilege to invest," she said.

The business world in Vietnam has witnessed the rise of many women in recent years.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, CEO of budget airline Vietjet, is one of six billionaires in the country.

Other notable women leaders include Mai Kieu Lien, CEO of dairy giant Vinamilk and Tran Thi Le, CEO of dairy company NutiFood who was included in Forbes Vietnam’s list of 20 most inspirational women this year.

However, experts have noted that the gender bias still prevents Vietnamese women from climbing the corporate ladder.

Only 15 percent of executives and employees at 300 companies said that the top positions in their company were held by women, according to a study released last year by the International Labor Organization.

Gender biases in the mindsets of managers can be barriers for women to advance into leadership positions, said Valentina Barcucci, an economist with ILO Vietnam.

Zuckerberg said that by becoming investors themselves, women can make the world they want to see a reality. Cryptocurrency, blockchain and artificial intelligence are some new areas that allow women to start off from the same ground as men, she added.

Women often wait for things to be perfect to start something, but they should not, she said, adding that a woman can start investing with any amount of money and need not wait until she gets rich.

"The best time to start was 20 years ago, and the second-best time to start is today.