HCM City outstrips national average in gender equality promotion

HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City has outpaced the national average in terms of several gender equality-related criteria, taking the lead in efforts for the advancement of women.

At a conference on April 22, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam said 35.1 percent of the members at local commune, ward and town-level Party Committees for the 2016 – 2020 tenure are women.

About 91.7 percent of the district People’s Committees and 87 percent of the People’s Committees at wards, communes and towns have female key officials. Women also own more than 30 percent of the businesses in the southern municipality, higher than the national average of 24.9 percent, he noted.

He said HCM City’s accomplishments over the last five years illustrate its activeness and creativity in enforcing relevant laws and policies.

To carry out the national gender equality strategy, the municipal People’s Committee issued a plan of action by 2020, with seven targets and 26 criteria, four criteria more than the national strategy. This shows the city’s determination to promote gender equality, Dam added.

Local officials said from now to 2020, they will enhance communication activities to raise public awareness of gender equality. The campaigns will target media outlets, officials and public servants.

Deputy Minister Dam said HCM City should do a good job on communications to help raise the number of female deputies to the National Assembly and all-level People’s Committees, which will be elected on May 22.

More training should be offered to improve women’s capabilities, thus increasing their presence in authorities and enterprises’ leadership in the future, he suggested.

At the conference, participants pointed out challenges and proposed solutions to gender inequality. They also underlined the role of businesses, families and society in gender equality promotion and women’s empowerment.-VNA