Conference: 11 percent of women aged 20-49 were married before 18

National conference addresses child, early marriage

Foreign experts and representatives from governmental agencies and local authorities gathered in Hanoi to discuss experiences, strategies and interventions and policy recommendations for Vietnam in a conference to address child and early marriage.
National conference addresses child, early marriage ảnh 1The national conference takes place on June 29 to address child and early marriage.(Photo: baotintuc.vn)

Hanoi (VNA)
– Foreign experts andrepresentatives from governmental agencies and local authorities gathered inHanoi on June 29 to discuss experiences, effective strategies and interventionsand policy recommendations for Vietnam in a conference to address child andearly marriage.

The national conference on “Preventing andending child and early marriage: Learning from promising strategies and goodpractices” was held by the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA), theUnited Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and theIrish Aid.

Opening the event, Vice Chairman of CEMA HaHung said that underage marriage limits girls’ opportunities for education andleads to early pregnancy before their bodies have matured, severely affectingtheir mental and physical development.

Early marriage also put them at greater riskof domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence. Overall, itdirectly affects socio-economic development, resulting in a vicious cycle ofpoverty among ethnic minority groups, Hung noted, adding that it is behind thedecline in quality of human resources and sustainable development of ethnicminority communities.

ShokoIshikawa, Country Representative of UN Women in Vietnam, highlighted that the key to breaking the cycle ofchild and early marriage lies in empowering and investing in girls and women.

Every girl and woman at risk of or affected by child andearly marriage must have access to quality services in education and training,legal and healthcare counselling, including for sexual and reproductive health,housing and others, the UN official stated.

This requires all state bodies to ensure that planning,budgeting, policymaking and monitoring reflects the needs of girls and boys,and that investment in girls’ empowerment is prioritised in all aspects andareas, she added.

In Vietnam,despite the Law on Marriage and Family setting the minimum legal age formarriage at 18 for women and 20 for men, 11 percent of women aged 20-49 yearswere married or in a union before the age of 18, most of whom come fromdisadvantaged regions and ethnic minority groups.

The firstsocio-economic survey of the country’s 53 ethnic minority groups conducted bythe CEMA and the General Statistics Office in 2015 found that the prevalence ofchild marriage among these groups was 26.6 percent; some groups even reportedrates of 50 – 70 percent.

During theconference, delegates discussed the main barriers to preventing and putting anend to early marriage and outlined opportunities for multi-sector cooperationin coping with the issue. They also looked into integrating child marriageinterventions into Vietnam’s development projects and socio-economicprogrammes, especially those exclusively for ethnic minority areas.-VNA
VNA

See more

About 90-100% of labourers in Bac Giang province come back to work after Tet holiday. (Photo: VNA)

Labour market to see changes in key industries

In order to make up for the shortages caused by resignations or job changes in the last months of the year, businesses typically hire extra employees. For job seekers, particularly those with specialised talents or experience, the labour market is now opening up a wide range of choices.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung (left) and head of the Vietnamese delegation Phan Thi Minh Giang at the conference. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam actively contributes to GCM review conference

Deputy Director of the Consular Department Phan Thi Minh Giang highlighted Vietnam’s achievements in three key areas: refining migration policies and laws, improving data collection, and enhancing international cooperation for safe and legal migration channels.

Many motorists now adhere to regulations voluntarily. (Photo: VNA)

Traffic violations decrease under Decree 168

A notable reduction has been recorded in the number of violations handled over the past month compared to the previous period, reflecting an increased sense of responsibility among road users.

Party General Secretary To Lam offers incence at the graves of martyrs at the Vi Xuyen national martyrs’ cemetery. in Ha Giang province on February 5. (Photo: VNA)

Party chief offers incense to martyrs in Ha Giang

Party General Secretary To Lam and his entourage observed a moment of silence, offering flowers and incense to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers at the Vi Xuyen national martyrs’ cemetery in the northern province of Ha Giang on February 5.

At a job fair in HCM City (Photo: VNA)

Job market to surge in 2025, technology and sustainability leading the way

TopCV predicts that roles such as software developers, data analysts and cybersecurity engineers will dominate the labour market in the technology sector, while manufacturing and logistics industries are expected to prioritise recruitment of automation engineers, supply chain managers and quality control specialists to optimise processes and integrate new technologies.