National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnamese top legislator delivered the remark at the High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the 25th anniversary of the fourth World Conference on Women on Thursday.

“Seventy-five years ago, the United Nations came into being, with the aim of saving future generations from the scourge of war and promoting development and social progress. At the Fourth World Conference on Women fifty years later, the ideals of equality and respect for human dignity once again came to the fore in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, one of the most comprehensive documents on gender equality and women’s empowerment.” 

Efforts to realize the objectives of this blueprint have strengthened legislative frameworks to empower women and create equal opportunities for women to take up decision-making positions. These efforts have created more cohesive national, regional, and global mechanisms, gradually bringing the world closer to the ideal of an equitable, progressive society where gender barriers no longer exist. Ms. Ngan said:

“Today, gender equality and the empowerment of women are top priorities at international and regional parliamentary fora. Promotion of gender equality and women's rights is a consistent policy of Vietnam, enshrined in our Constitution and guaranteed in practice. Vietnamese women have been a vital force and made immense contributions throughout our history, be it in the cultivation of Vietnamese cultural identity, or in the development of the Vietnamese society.” 

Ms. Ngan added that the Vietnamese National Assembly has adopted wide-ranging legal documents to advance women’s empowerment and encourage their participation across economic, political and social domains and oversees the enforcement of legislation and implementation of Government policies in these matters.

This year, in its capacity as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, ASEAN Chair, and President of the 41st ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, Vietnam has championed initiatives on women and girls at these critical institutions. Vietnam will continue working with all partners towards a truly equal society and a world of sustainable peace and development, Ms. Ngan said.