[SuperHero Without A Cape #1] The tireless and inspirational journey of inclusion

From the moment we first met online, we knew why Ms. Elsa Romeo, PNV’s ambassador, has dedicated her life to the cause of empowering women. She has been through innumerable experiences with inequality: from her place of birth in France to her education journey, to her workplaces across the globe. Yet, this does not dispirit Elsa – the only thing that’s reinforced is: Discrimination against women is still prevalent everywhere in the world, and it’s our responsibility to change that. 

Ms Elsa took active steps towards breaking the stereotypes and boundaries imposed on her, taking leadership roles such as joining the board at CCIFV, founding PISF, co-chairing EuroCham’s Women in Business Sector Committee, and co-leading La French Tech – proving that her ability is never limited by her gender. Yet, she realized that a gender-equal workplace could never be achieved without gender-equal classrooms.

“We must ensure at least 50% of girls, especially in schools like PNV, are given available scholarships to ensure equity in both IT learning and careers. That’s the first step, the very first step that we must not miss.”, says Ms Elsa in our latest ambassador meeting. Her path first crossed with Passerelles Numériques Vietnam (PNV) when she actively reached out to invite us to share our work in women empowerment with her Women in Business Sector Committee. After visiting PNV and seeing the joy of our students on their graduation day, Ms Elsa was convinced that becoming PNV’s ambassador would fulfill her lifelong mission. 

Since 2022, her conviction and passion for gender equality and women empowerment have been constantly passed on to our students. In 2022, she hosted a “LinkedIn & Networking” workshop that sparked a paradigm shift in how our student’s mindset about career development. Not only did she teach them how to create standout LinkedIn profiles and connect with reputable employers in the IT industry, but she also highlighted the importance of gender equality in the workplace. PNV is assured that, before becoming professionals in their field, our men and women techies will first enter the workforce as ambassadors of equality who take action toward a more equitable and inclusive tech industry.

Most recently, on International Women’s Day, Elsa came back to the PNV campus as one of the speakers in a special panel discussion named Women Empowerment in Tech: from Campus to Corporate. In fact, she has been active from one month before D-Day, sending invitations to her network and carefully reviewing the discussion themes and questions. All PNV staff who work with her have to acknowledge her meticulousness, especially when building a board of panelists that are most diverse and knowledgeable on the topic. 

She brought along two close friends, Mr. Xavier Malparty and Ms. Anaïs Victor, who are also familiar with this topic, to join the esteemed panel. The discussion covered a range of critical issues, from career orientation for women on campus to breaking stereotypes in traditionally male-dominated industries. Ms. Elsa’s insights into tech education and her advocacy for gender equality in the workplace truly left a profound impact on all those present. 

“We have tried to give our IT student audience some tips to help them overcome gender stereotypes now and tomorrow. I am confident they will find ways to disrupt a “bro culture nobody needs”, wrote Ms Elsa in a post wrapping up the event.

With our work together, we, too, are more and more confident in the future of our students. Thank you Ms. Elsa Romeo for your unwavering passion, dedication, and hard work toward PNV’s “From campus to corporate” objective. While PNV promises to be the “Gateway for Life” through education, our professional and corporate partners give our students the “Pathway” beyond, completing our mission of transforming lives, one at a time. 

To professionals out there, we would like to invite YOU to become ambassadors of PNV! As an ambassador, you will have the opportunity to make a real and long-lasting impact on the community, represent PNV in partnership events, and network with like-minded, impact-driven professionals. We believe that together, we can work towards a brighter future for the youth of Vietnam. Don’t hesitate to contact us today at ero.vietnam@passerellesnumeriques.org and join us in our mission.