Efforts in implementing Beijing blueprint help improve Vietnamese women’s status: seminar

Over the past 25 years, the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to promote gender equality in Vietnam has brought about positive results, helping improve the role and status of Vietnamese women.

Vietnam has made great strides in promoting gender equality and improving the role and status of women and girls. (Photo: NDO/Tuan Son)
Vietnam has made great strides in promoting gender equality and improving the role and status of women and girls. (Photo: NDO/Tuan Son)

The assessment was made at a workshop held in Hai Phong city on May 6 by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), aiming to review the 25 year national level implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, one of the world's most progressive blueprints for gender equality and advancing women’s rights.

In 2020, the world will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and five years of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. In Vietnam, 2020 is also the last year of the first ever National Strategy on Gender Equality and the Government will prepare a new gender equality strategy for the 2021-2030 period. Therefore, the preparation in 2019 for the comprehensive assessment and review of the implementation of gender equality policies with the participation of all stakeholders is particularly important.

In implementing the Beijing blueprint, Vietnam has been promoting the integration of gender issues in law building and enforcement, while issuing specific programmes and projects on gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence, as well as strongly implementing information campaigns on gender equality and improving women's empowerment in society.

Thanks to such efforts, the proportion of women participating in the National Assembly has been raised to 27.1%, higher than the regional and global average. According to international assessments, at present, the rate of female business owners in Vietnam has reached 31.3% of the total number of business owners, while the rate of new job creation for female workers has always been maintained at over 48% in the last five years. However, there are still difficulties and challenges facing Vietnamese women and girls as gender inequality remains evident.

Deputy Minister of MoLISA Nguyen Thi Ha speaks at the workshop. (Photo provided by UN Women)

Speaking at the workshop, Deputy Minister of MoLISA Nguyen Thi Ha suggested that international and domestic experts focus on discussing difficulties in the implementation of the Beijing blueprint, prioritising solutions to prevent violence against women and girls and promote women's rights.

In the post-2020 phase, attention should be paid to communication solutions, awareness raising and behaviour changing concerning gender equality, Ha said, adding that it is also necessary to develop strategic, comprehensive and specific solutions in education and training, healthcare, poverty reduction, job creation and income improvement to improve the quality of women's lives.

Elisa Fernandez, UN Women Head of Office in Vietnam, said that the UN entity believes that the process of assessing the implementation of the Beijing blueprint provides a good opportunity for Vietnam to rejuvenate its commitments and actions for gender equality and women's empowerment. The review process should mobilise all women and men, of all ages and different circumstances, to ensure that the different voices and needs of all sexes are listened to and eliminate all forms of discrimination, she affirmed.

The two-day workshop is also expected to enhance the participants' understanding of international standards for drafting the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as recognising the different views and experiences of all parties in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in Vietnam.