(VOVWORLD) - Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Thi Thanh outlined three key priorities for advancing gender equality in her keynote speech at the general debate of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) under the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Tuesday.
 Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh speaks at the general debate of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. (Photo: VNA) |
She emphasized the need to refine institutional, legal, and policy frameworks to ensure equal participation of women, particularly in decision-making across all sectors.
Thanh also highlighted the importance of enhancing women’s economic empowerment by fostering public-private partnerships to mobilize resources effectively. This would enable women to access financial services, markets, and entrepreneurship opportunities, expand their roles in the digital and green economy, and ensure equal participation in the labour market. She further emphasized the need to recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid domestic and caregiving work, along with promoting the care economy.
Another priority is promoting women’s leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), digital transformation, and innovation. Thanh called for greater encouragement, support, and career guidance for women and girls, particularly in artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and digital economy.
Sharing Vietnam’s achievements, Thanh noted that women account for nearly one-third of Vietnam’s National Assembly members; 40% of Vietnam’s STEM workforce is female; 26.5% of businesses in the country are owned by women; women account for 68.5% of the country’s labour force, surpassing the global average of 48.7% and 14.4% of Vietnam’s peacekeepers are women, higher than the UN average of 10.2%.
Additionally, Vietnam is actively promoting digital knowledge programmes, particularly for women and girls. Thanh reaffirmed the country’s commitment to global gender equality efforts, including its role as a member of the UN Human Rights Council (2023-2025) and an incoming member of the UN Women Executive Board (2025-2027).