(VOVworld) – A national forum opened in Hanoi on Tuesday to review Vietnam’s implementation of gender equality and women empowerment through the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Vietnam has achieved important achievements in implementing the convention over the last 10 years. Vietnam now has a National Assembly chairwoman and half of central agencies and ministries have female leaders. The ratio of business leaders is 25%. Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam said the state is committed to promoting gender equality and ensuring the rights of women and girls: “We are committed to implementing the Convention in Vietnam by consulting the government and National Assembly with action programs. We’ll propose the inclusion of women empowerment in the national agenda to better protect their rights.”

Vietnam was the 6^th member of the CEDAW convention, which was approved in 1979.