(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam has demonstrated its strong determination to promote gender equality and women’s advancement over the past years with clear, consistent, and practical strategy. On Tuesday, Le Thi Minh Thoa, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam at the UN, told the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Affairs Committee during the UN General Assembly’s 77th Session that gender equality is always respected in Vietnam’s national strategies and policies. Vietnam is determined to strengthen women’s role, participation, and contribution to socio-economic development.
 Minister Counselor Le Thi Minh Thoa, Deputy Head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, at a session on women's advancement on social, humanitarian, and cultural issues at the 77th UN General Assembly. (photo: Communist Review) |
In the era of globalization, Vietnam has deepened international integration, established diplomatic and economic relations with nearly 200 countries and territories, and become a responsible member of many prestigious global and regional organizations. Vietnam’s achievements in international integration have contributed to its development and created favorable conditions for gender equality and human rights.
Vietnam has improved its institutions, policies, and laws in accordance with international laws and conventions and its commitments on gender equality and human rights. The 2013 Constitution and laws have been revised to foster gender equality.
Vietnam has implemented policies and solutions to achieve gender equality goals in specific fields such as the National Action Plan for the Advancement of Women until 2000, the National Strategy on Gender Equality for the 2011-2020 period and 2011-2015 period, projects and programs on gender-based violence prevention, communications on gender equality, and most recently the National Strategy on Gender Equality for the 2021-2030 period.
After a decade of implementing the National Strategy on Gender Equality, Vietnam has recorded significant results, which have contributed significantly to national socio-economic development and created changes in awareness and behavior throughout society. Legal documents and policies have been fine-tuned to ensure gender equality in line with international standards.
Ministries and sectors have combined gender issues in law and policy making and implementation to narrow the gender gap, elevate the role and position of women in the family and society, and create conditions for women and men to participate and enjoy equal benefits in social, political, and economic fields.
The implementation of the national goals on gender equality has progressed significantly. Women hold important positions in the Party, State, and legislative bodies. The elections of the 15th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 term resulted in 30.26% female National Assembly deputies (the highest rate since the 5th term) and nearly 30% women in People's Councils at all levels. Women participate more in economic activities and have better job opportunities and higher incomes. This was an important factor in Vietnam’s high economic growth rate over the past decade, despite political and economic fluctuations around the world.
Vietnam’s rise on global development indexes has been applauded by the international community. The Human Development Index (HDI) report in 2020 ranked Vietnam 117th of 189 countries and territories and put Vietnam in the high human development category. With a Gender Development Index of 0.997, Vietnam ranks 65th of 162 countries. The percentage of female deputies in the National Assembly is one of the highest in the world.
In order to continue to narrow the gender gap, create conditions and opportunities for women to have equal participation and benefits in society, and contribute to national sustainable development, the Government in March, 2021 ratified the National Strategy on Gender Equality from 2021-2030, and the Prime Minister approved programs and policies to prevent gender-based violence in the 2021-2025 period, the Communication Program on Gender Equality to 2030, and the National Program on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control in the new situation until 2025.