"The economic growth of women is reflected in China," she said," Chinese women are working, starting businesses, leading the economy."

There are 345, 000 millionaires in China, and one-third of them are women, she said, citing the Fortune magazine. "Based on the huge population, that's a huge number," she noted.

"In China, I see an emerging women middle-class," she said.

On the obstacles women face during their development, Natividad said women lack access to funding to enterprises. They have to find a balance between work and family and they still have to deal with a structure not used to women being a leader.

The important thing for women is to have optimism. "You can't succeed without optimism," she stressed.

"There are still so few women who lead companies, countries, ministries, so few women have acquired leadership," she said.

"We still need the summit. I want to see the day we don't need it anymore," Natividad said.

The 18th Global Summit of Women (GSW), or informally called the "Davos for Women", opened Thursday afternoon in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, with the attendance of over 900 participants from about 70 countries and regions.

Themed "Women and Asia- Driving the Global Economy", the summit offers a window into the dynamic Asia-Pacific economies now leading the 21st century global marketplace, and insight into the women driving business growth in the region as consumers and business leaders.

(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2008)