The Vietnamese Permanent Delegation to UNESCO in Paris attended the online launch of the Paris hub of International Gender Champions (Photo: baoquocte.vn)

Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van highlighted Vietnam’s consistent policy of raising Vietnam’s position and bolstering gender equality across the board.

Vietnam has signed several international treaties on gender equality, women’s rights and women empowerment. In 2006, Vietnam issued the Law on Gender Equality asking the government and administrations at all levels to fulfill their responsibility for ensuring gender equality. In the past few decades, Vietnam has become one of countries in the Asia Pacific region achieving remarkable results in promoting gender equality in various fields.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam organized several activities last year to empower women and girls.

At the ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit themed “Women’s role in building a cohesive, dynamic, sustainable and inclusive ASEAN after COVID-19” last November, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said, 'The building of the ASEAN Community shows that women, who account for nearly half (48.7%) of the working population, contribute significantly to the region’s prosperity. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative impact on people’s lives, women will play an important role in the recovery from the crisis.'

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngat at the ASEAN Women Leaders' Summit in November, 2020 (photo: VOV)

In order to promote the role of women and their contributions to the comprehensive and sustainable recovery of ASEAN and development of the ASEAN Community, Ms Ngan shared Vietnam’s experience in ensuring women’s legitimate economic and health rights. She said international and national efforts to achieve gender equality have been promoted despite the epidemic.

Ngan said, 'ASEAN needs to focus on women in its cause of reconstruction and recovery, strengthen women’s leadership and voice in the decision-making process, and empower their economic rights to narrow development gap and enhance the community’s resilience against external shocks. It’s important to include gender equality and women empowerment as priorities in building the ASEAN Vision beyond 2025. Amidst rapid and complicated changes in the region and the world, ASEAN needs to take a new, creative and more effective approach to bring into play women’s role in all aspects and to take advantage of science, technology, and digital technology to promote women’s capacity and potential.'

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said Vietnam is working closely with ASEAN countries to build a Community of unity, peace, stability, prosperity, and sharing while ensuring equal approaches for everyone including women and girls. To realize these goals, Vietnam intends to organize an ASEAN Summit on Women’s Role and Contribution to Comprehensive and Sustainable Recovery this year.

Vietnam’s consistent policy od promoting women’s role and potential in national development and defense and empowering women in all fields has been demonstrated through the country’s initiatives and efforts as ASEAN Chair 2020, a Non-Permanent Member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure, and Chair of the 41^st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, and its successful organization of the first ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit, the ASEAN Ministerial Dialogue on Women’s Role for Sustainable Peace and Security, and the International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security.

These achievements have contributed to international efforts to enhance gender equality in 2020 when the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security marked its 20^th anniversary and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action marked its 25^th anniversary.