More than 200 delegates gathered at a November 19 meeting in Hanoi to discuss how best to involve and harness the talents of overseas Vietnamese women in national development. The meeting reported OV women are some of the most influential in expatriate Vietnamese communities. Female politicians of Vietnamese origin have won elections in the US, Australia, and Canada. OV businesswomen are creative and dynamic; they have generated thousands of jobs, and many female scientists have returned home to lecture, conduct research, and fundraise for a variety of scholarships. OV women have managed to preserve traditional cultural identities within their families and bridge younger overseas generations with their homeland. Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan recalled the heroic contributions of Vietnamese women during the past national liberation struggle and ongoing construction and renewal. She commended expatriate Vietnamese women for acting on their faith to the homeland through practical charitable activities supporting less fortunate compatriots. She noted Vietnam is integrating internationally, requiring Vietnamese women abroad to further their qualifications and stay competitive. Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee President Nguyen Thien Nhan encouraged more OVs—especially younger expatriates—to return home and experience native Vietnamese culture firsthand. He said future plans include a programme promoting Vietnamese culture and language in OV communities that emphasises the importance of women to prosperity in Vietnam as well as their countries of residence. VOV