In the landscape of Vietnam’s modern economy, women’s roles are no longer confined to the “backstage” but are increasingly recognized as a crucial economic force. According to 2025 data from VCCI, women-owned businesses account for nearly 25% of all enterprises nationwide, while more than 50% of businesses include women in their ownership structure, making a significant contribution to Vietnam’s national GDP.

However, many women entrepreneurs continue to face barriers rooted in the gender gap, such as the “double burden” of balancing family and career, leading to time constraints, as well as restricted access to large-scale financing due to a lack of collateral and gender biases regarding risk management capabilities. In addition, the shortage of dedicated mentorship networks and professional communities poses further challenges for women-owned businesses. To address these challenges, connecting diverse resources—from finance and knowledge to business networks—has become an urgent priority to create leverage that helps women overcome barriers and enhance their economic empowerment.

As one of the pioneering Vietnamese banks to sign a gender equality commitment, Southeast Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SeABank, HOSE: SSB) positions itself not merely as a capital provider, but as a partner in addressing bottlenecks, empowering women-owned businesses to strengthen their capabilities and pursue sustainable growth through ‘tailored’ financial solutions, complemented by a range of non-financial support initiatives.

Strengthening financial foundations through flexible, tailored banking solutions

Recognizing that each women-owned business faces its own challenges, SeABank delivers tailored solutions aligned with specific needs, while accelerating digitalization to provide an optimal financial experience.

Accordingly, SeABank’s ecosystem of privileged solutions effectively addresses working capital constraints through breakthrough offerings, including unsecured overdraft facilities of up to VND5 billion, and loan-to-value (LTV) ratios of up to 100% for deposits and 95% for real estate.

In parallel, a “quartet” of flagship corporate cards serves as smart “financial assistants”: SeAMileage and SeABank Visa Business help optimize travel and commercial expenses, enabling mileage accumulation and access to exclusive partner privileges; SeABank Visa Corporate credit card offers unsecured limits of up to VND200 million; SeABiz Ultra Cash debit card generates returns on idle funds through flexible cashback features based on the average monthly CASA balance.

In addition, SeABank offers a range of preferential benefits, including attractive interest rates, waivers on early repayment fees, priority service at branches, and optimized processes. These advantages enable women-owned businesses to access finance in a timely, convenient manner.

The “quartet” of financial assistants helping women-led businesses optimize cash flow management.

“SeABank offers very strong policies for women-owned businesses, with more competitive interest rates compared to the market. Thanks to timely financing, we have been able to execute multiple large orders simultaneously while maintaining stable working capital,” shared a female Director of a food import-export and corporate gift manufacturing company after receiving a VND2 billion credit facility from SeABank, enabling the business to address capital shortages and proactively manage cash flow to fulfill multiple orders at once.

In 2025, SeABank continues to enhance its digital banking platforms, SeANet and SeAMobile Biz, to better support the cash flow management and operational needs of women-owned businesses. In addition to core features such as role-based access control, account inquiries, and transaction initiation/approval, the Bank is continuously expanding advanced functionalities, including batch detailed statements, debit/credit notifications with digital signatures, and transfer limit management—enabling a more convenient, efficient, and secure financial management for women-owned businesses.

Connecting diverse resources – A key to advancing women’s economic empowerment

To sustainably advance women’s economic empowerment, financial resources must be complemented by deep expertise and strong business networks—key elements that build the internal strength of enterprises. SeABank plays a strategic ‘bridging role’, connecting these resources through non-financial support initiatives, thereby enabling women-owned businesses to enhance governance and operational capabilities, strengthen competitiveness, and improve resilience in a dynamic environemnt.

SeABank co-organizes specialized tax workshops nationwide.

To foster mentorship networks and build a dedicated community for this customer segment, SeABank actively maintains the SeAPower – Exclusive women entrepreneurs club, offering members access to thematic sessions, training programs, and networking opportunities. In response to increasing demands for transparent governance and the need for continuous policy updates, the Bank designs training programs, workshops, and seminars focused on governance and legal matters—delivering timely and relevant support for women entrepreneurs.

Accordingly, SeABank has developed free online courses for members and businesses via its exclusive forum https://forum.seabank.com.vn/. In 2025, two in-depth courses on tax, finance, and corporate governance attracted 5,000 participants. In early 2026, additional courses on financial solutions and sales management are being jointly implemented by SeABank and MobiFone, aiming to further enhance the competitive position of women-owned businesses.

In-depth courses delivered online and free of charge.

In 2025, the Bank also collaborated with local tax authorities to organize a series of 5+ specialized tax workshops nationwide, enabling women entrepreneurs to stay up to date with key changes in the 2025 tax policies and the roadmap for adopting International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). These efforts aim to support women-owned businesses in enhancing financial transparency and unlocking opportunities to access international capital markets.

From practical impacts to long-term values

As of the end of 2025, the number of women-owned business customers at SeABank increased by 150%, outstanding credit grew by 120% year-on-year. These figures are not merely financial data, but a testament to the Bank’s commitment to advancing gender equality and promoting inclusive economic growth.

SeABank’s journey to actualize its gender equality commitment has achieved significant milestones and gained recognition from both domestic and international organizations. Notably, ESG Business Awards 2025 (by ESG Business Magazine and Asian Banking & Finance), Vietnam ESG Awards 2024 and 2025 (by Dan Tri Newspaper), Sustainable Enterprise (VCCI), Most Innovative Bank for Women in Vietnam 2022 (Global Business), Sustainable Development category at VOBA 2025 and Strong Brand 2025, UN WEPs Awards 2024 in the “Gender Equality in the Marketplace” category by UN Women.

SeABank’s efforts have been recognized both domestically and internationally.

By connecting and mobilizing diverse resources, SeABank is progressively reinforcing its role as a catalyst, enabling women-owned businesses to overcome barriers and unlock their full potential. This commitment goes beyond supporting a customer segment and contributes to fostering a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable future, where every individual has a fair opportunity to realize their capabilities and create value for society.