VietNamNet Bridge – Austrian Irene Ohler and Vietnamese Do Thuy Duong, co-authors of a book on remarkable Vietnamese women titled Con gai Ba Trieu the ky 21 (Ba Chieu’s 21st Century Daughters:  Stories of Remarkable Vietnamese Women), launched their work in HCMC last week.

Irene Ohler and Do Thuy Duong, co-authors of the book “Ba Trieu’s 21st Century Daughters: Stories of Remarkable Vietnamese Women” are seen at the launch of the book in HCMC last week         Author Irene Ohler talks to Ton Nu Thi Ninh, former Ambassador of Vietnam to the European Union, who is among the 20 women featured in the book

The book, which was unveiled in Hanoi in mid-October, is a product of unusual collaboration between an outsider who is exploring the country and an insider who represents the current generation of Vietnamese women leaders.

Ohler is a leadership development professional who has lived in Vietnam for the past four years, having accompanied her partner who is New Zealand’s Ambassador to Vietnam. As a young female entrepreneur, Duong is CEO of Talentpool, and was recently elected to the Hanoi People’s Council.

This book is a tribute, a monument to Vietnamese women. It is a monument constructed on the stories of twenty remarkable women, spanning three generations. These women – some famous, some less well known – share valuable lessons in life and leadership.

Familiar names in the book include former Ambassador of Vietnam to the European Union Ton Nu Thi Ninh, and acclaimed economist Pham Chi Lan. This book tells twenty women’s stories with the aim of inspiring readers to imagine what is possible.

It’s so striking to come to Vietnam and to see how wonderful Vietnamese women are. They are hardworking, resilient, resourceful, entrepreneurial and yet very graceful. And women are striking here,” said Ohler. “I was fascinated, and it appeared that no one had explored the topic of women leadership in Vietnam yet. It seemed to me that there was a huge treasure waiting to be discovered.”

Being asked how to choose those characters for the book, Ohler said the book is not about 20 women that you need to know or the most important women. This is a book about women who all do remarkable things. She also let readers have a chance to find their choices of remarkable women by answering one of the three questions at the end of the book as who they would include if they were writing the book.

Do Thuy Duong said there are some great lessons on leadership and life which we hope will be inspiring to all generations of Vietnamese women, especially the younger generation. Via the book, Duong and Ohler discovered some common strategies that the women have employed to achieve success and deal with challenges, including being resilient, showing compassion, following their own path, and living their passion.

A coincident meeting at a conference on the rise of women hosted by Ton Nu Thi Ninh in June 2014 brought Ohler and Duong together. The two women shared their ideas to write a book on women leaders in Vietnam.

Ohler also shows her expectation to write a new book about remarkable Vietnamese.

The book Ba Chieu’s 21st Century Daughters:  Stories of Remarkable Vietnamese Women was published in two versions – one in English and the other in Vietnamese – by the Women’s Publishing House. It can be found at bookstores in Hanoi and HCMC.

SGT