Ambassador Nguyen Nguyet Nga, Senior Advisor to the ASEAN 2020 National Secretariat and Vietnam’s representative at the ASEAN Women for Peace Registry (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The role of women and gender equality-related issues will be discussed comprehensivelyfor the first time at the ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit held online on November 12, saidAmbassador Nguyen Nguyet Nga, Senior Advisorto the ASEAN 2020 National Secretariat and Vietnam’s representative at theASEAN Women for Peace Registry (AWPR).
The summit is a hallmarkof the ASEAN Year 2020 when Vietnam holds the Chairmanship, she said, notingthat it creates a momentum for regional women to prove their role in thecommunity.
Among the vulnerablegroups, women are the worst affected by COVID-19 in many aspects such as health care,education and employment. Therefore, they play a significant role in the pandemicfight and post-pandemic recovery, Nga told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on thesidelines of the summit.
The pandemic combat,digital transformation and the fourth Industrial Revolution require the softpower of women, as well as their connectivity and adaptability capacity, she wenton.
According to the ambassador,ASEAN must contribute to the common goals set in the 2030 Agenda forSustainable Development, including gender equality and the empowerment of womenand children, if the bloc wants to affirm its global role.
President of theVietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Ha Thi Nga said the summit demonstrates ASEAN’sstrong commitments to enhancing gender equality and empowering women, and Vietnam’sconsistent policy on promoting women’s progress and gender equality.
The summit will promote women’srole in all sectors, towards a comprehensive ASEAN with people at the centre,she said.
The VWU will activelyand responsibly contribute to ASEAN, as well as other regional andinternational mechanisms, thus contributing to promoting women’s progress and genderequality, she pledged.
In aninterview with the VNA, Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative for Vietnam, said women have an extraordinary role to play, and women’s leadership is extremely importantat this time.
“I’m delighted to seethe priorities that have been given within summit, at the first ASEAN WomenLeaders’ Summit. Women join forces across ASEAN and beyond. They can have anextraordinary impact on business, peace and peace building.”
“UNDP is honoured toaccompany Vietnam and its women leadership and economic empowerment,” she said,stressing that the UNDP stands ready to partner and deepen the work together.
In this regard, Ambassadorof the Netherlands Elsbeth Akkerman also commended Vietnam for organising the ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit.
The Ambassador unveiledthat Dutch Queen Maxima will take part in this summit in her role as the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance forDevelopment./.
