Authority: The article was written by Yen Minh and originally published on tatlerasia.com. It has been translated and adapted by Women Tech Entrepreneurs (WTE).

In Vietnam, women are emerging as key drivers of the country’s digital transformation. From leading corporations to founding startups, they are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and technology not only to enhance productivity, but to redefine leadership, break gender barriers, and shape a more inclusive digital future.

As gender equality continues to evolve in Vietnam’s fast-growing economy, technology has become both a tool and a bridge - empowering women to participate more deeply in decision-making and innovation across industries.

Technology as an Empowerment Engine

For Nguyễn Quỳnh Trâm, Managing Director of Microsoft Vietnam, technology is more than just an instrument of efficiency - it’s a daily companion.
Each morning, she begins her day by consulting her AI assistant. It organizes her schedule, filters emails, and highlights strategic priorities. Even after late-night meetings, her assistant provides concise summaries so she never misses a key discussion.

“Women should never limit themselves. Technology gives us the edge to go further,” Trâm says, reflecting on how AI enhances both leadership capacity and life balance.

Ms. Tram is no exception. Across Vietnam, more and more women are embracing AI as part of their work ecosystem. From online learning to time management to running a business, technology is opening up more flexible spaces for women – especially in a labor market where gender biases persist.

Breaking Through the Digital Ceiling

While Vietnamese women play a vital role in the nation’s workforce, they remain underrepresented in STEM fields.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), women make up 37% of Vietnam’s digital workforce - yet many are still confined to administrative, marketing, or testing positions rather than technical or executive roles.

Educational disparities deepen the divide. A CEO Today report reveals that only 21% of computer science graduates and 22% of engineering graduates in Vietnam are women.

This imbalance doesn’t just limit women’s individual growth - it constrains the country’s innovation potential.

AI: Leveling the Playing Field

Artificial intelligence is proving to be a powerful equalizer for Vietnamese women, enabling them to close knowledge gaps and enhance productivity in fields historically dominated by men.

Take Phương Thảo, a 31-year-old financial analyst, who uses AI to summarize dense reports and translate global insights into actionable strategies. “What used to take me hours now takes minutes,” she says. “AI gives me the confidence and speed to compete at the same level as anyone else.”

AI-powered education is also expanding access to women in rural and remote areas. Platforms like Coursera, Vietnam Digital Academy, and community initiatives such as Empower Her Tech (supported by UNDP) are equipping women with skills in data analytics, programming, fintech, and digital marketing.

The results are encouraging. Coursera’s 2025 Global Skills Report shows that female enrollment in online courses rose from 38% in 2021 to 47% in 2024, while participation in professional certification programs nearly doubled, from 25% to 40%.

With decades of experience, Ms. Nguyễn Quỳnh Trâm believes that AI is opening the door for women to enter fields that were once considered “privileged” for men, such as programming and data science. “AI helps change the approach to technical work,” she said. Because no-code tools (completely no need to write code), low-code (using a little code to customize and expand applications) help women, even those without a technology background, can still participate in product design, software development or project management.

Tools like GitHub Copilot support natural language coding, while platforms like AppMaster allow web, mobile, and backend applications to be designed using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, eliminating the need for complex coding. These help users build confidence and increase their job competitiveness step by step. This is not only a fast learning curve, but also a way to gain experience, demonstrate technical competence, and overcome invisible barriers caused by gender bias.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Quyen, Vice President of the Vietnam Digital Technology Alliance, emphasized:

“The technological revolution presents a powerful opportunity for women to assert their roles - not only in the workplace but also in driving social development.”

Technology not only enhances access to knowledge but also helps reduce inequality in recruitment. Research by Himabindu Lakkaraju at Harvard Business School found that fair-ranking algorithms can increase the proportion of women shortlisted as potential candidates from 10% to 29%.

One of the major barriers for women in their careers is family responsibility, which often forces them to turn down advancement opportunities. However, flexible work models combined with AI-powered virtual assistants are now helping women achieve better balance between their professional and personal lives.

The Double-Edged Sword of AI

Despite its vast potential, AI is not without risks. A 2024 study revealed that some generative AI models tend to describe women as “poor leaders” or “indecisive.” The root cause lies in biased training data-much of it centered on male-oriented perspectives-which means women are often excluded or misrepresented in AI-generated content.

The issue becomes even more alarming when considering that women account for only 22% of the global AI workforce, and less than 8% hold Chief Technology Officer (CTO) positions in the United States. The absence of women’s voices in product design and decision-making allows technology to reinforce historical stereotypes or deepen existing inequalities.

The United Nations report “The Future is Equal: Gender Equality in the Technology Industry” emphasizes that a truly equal future cannot exist if the technological landscape is shaped by a homogeneous minority. The lack of female representation not only results in unfair, biased innovations, but also increases women’s vulnerability to automation and job displacement.

Laura Nguyễn, Partner at GenAI Fund, shared her perspective:

“AI is an interdisciplinary field—it requires not only technical expertise but also a deep understanding of society, culture, and human ethics. With their multidimensional perspectives and emotional intelligence, women can make significant contributions to developing more humane, community-driven technologies.”

A truly inclusive AI ecosystem must dismantle gender bias. To achieve this, AI systems should be built upon three core pillars: a diverse development workforce, transparent data, and strong accountability mechanisms.

As Himabindu Lakkaraju explained, “AI must be designed to promote representation. Algorithms alone cannot eliminate injustice if human decision-makers still hold biases.” She suggested integrating algorithmic models with behavioral mechanisms - for instance, offering incentives to companies that include female candidates in their final interview rounds.

Such measures, according to experts, are essential for ensuring that AI innovation serves everyone - not just those who design it.

The future of work is being shaped by the decisions we make today. If given the opportunity, women will not only be beneficiaries of technology, they will be leaders of the next wave of change.

Source: women-leverage-technology-and-ai-to-shape-the-future-vn