Vietnam adopted the Law on Gender Equality in 2006 and has issued a national strategy on gender equality until 2020 to improve public awareness, close the gender gap, heighten women’s status, protect women’s rights, and fight discrimination against women. Vietnam accomplished the Millennium Development Goal of promoting gender equality and empowering women ahead of schedule, becoming one of the countries with the fastest pace in eliminating the gender gap over the past 20 years.

Women make up half of Vietnam’s population and workforce. With nearly 27% of National Assembly deputies being women, Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest proportion of female parliamentarians. Women hold some major positions in the Party and State leadership, including Politburo members and National Assembly Chair. The number of female ethnic entrepreneurs is on the rise, particularly in healthcare and education.

Vietnam’s human rights report shows that the national strategy on gender equality has focused on regions experiencing gender inequality or prone to gender inequality. This has reduced domestic violence and the trafficking of women and and created conditions for women to improve themselves.

Vietnam aims to increase the percentage of ethnic women holding high-level posts, improve the living conditions and skills of ethnic women, and enhance international cooperation to bridge the gender gap, particularly among vulnerable groups and in strategic areas like education, healthcare and employment.