Hiring decisions should be about competency, not gender

Vietnam is one of the countries that annually celebrate International Women's Day on Mar. 8. It also has Vietnamese Women's Day on Oct. 20. On these days you would see flowers everywhere, from markets to workplaces, even on the streets.

We now see a lot more women in the workforce, even in fields once thought to be the preserve of men. Our women are taxi drivers, shippers, builders, and bodyguards. All over the country, women are earning money and raising families, with or without men.

Many of them do not care for a day like International Women's Day. They do not need it to prove themselves as equals to men.

I see that some companies now have policies that require women to make up a certain proportion of their key workers.

I see it in both the public and private sectors, each having their own strategies to achieve the goal, for instance by recruiting a certain number of women every year.

Honestly, I'm not entirely sure about such an initiative. How exactly are companies supposed to ensure there are "enough" women in their workforce? I don't think there's any need for these slogans. Companies should focus on hiring those with the right capabilities and qualities for the job. In time capable women would naturally rise to the top.