Organised on the occasion of the Vietnamese Women’s Day (October 20), the seminar saw the attendance of several National Assembly deputies and representatives from relevant ministries, sectors, agencies, institutes, social organisations and development partners.
According to UNDP, when it comes to women in political decision-making, Vietnam has in place an adequate legal framework to ensure gender equality in political and public life.
UNDP cited the 2022 World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report as saying that Vietnam scores 0.705 on a scale from 0 to 1 in terms of gender gap index, ranking 83rd out of 146 countries, improving its position from 87th in 2021. In the 2021 elections, the proportion of female National Assembly deputies increased to 30.26%, the first time that Vietnam crossed the critical threshold identified as necessary for women to have a visible impact on decision-making process. Similarly, the proportion of female members of the People's Councils at all level also increased.
However, UNDP also pointed out that there remained limitations and challenges regarding women’s participation in political activities, particularly at the local level.
Among 812 surveyed villages in 2019, only 101 had female leaders, accounting for 12%.
Speaking at the event, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Ramla Khalidi said UNDP’s approach is empowering women by promoting their equal participation at all levels.
On the occasion, UNDP debuted the first podcast entitled “Descendants of Hai Ba Trung” featuring how today's generation of women uphold the tradition of Hai Ba Trung, with an indomitable, resilient spirit, constantly creatively responding to the challenges of the new era, including climate change crisis.
