National Women’s Congress talks gender equality in external relations

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese women have full positions and potential to play an active part in the country’s reform, heard a working session of the 13th National Women’s Congress on March 10.

Le Thi Thu Hang, Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry and Assistant to the Foreign Minister, said over the past years, gender equality and women’s empowerment have been among priorities in Vietnam’s external affairs.

Vietnam’s active, proactive and leading role in matters regarding gender equality and women’s rights at multilateral regional and international forums has been acknowledged by international friends, she added.

She said Vietnam is one of the first countries to complete the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on gender equality and improving women’s position, and the country is making efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development that also includes goals of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Hang emphasised Vietnam’s efforts to promote women’s role at the United Nations Security Council, saying the country has sent female officers to UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, who make up 16 percent of Vietnam’s peacekeeping forces, higher than the rate recommended by the UN.

In bilateral ties, gender equality and women’s empowerment have been integrated into foreign affairs at different levels, she said.

To carry forward achievements in this regard, she suggested the Foreign Ministry promote the key role of the Vietnam Women’s Union, saying the union should work to enable women to make more contributions to building the great national unity bloc and socio-economic-cultural development.

Le Khanh Luong, Acting Director General of the Department of Gender Equality at the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said gender matters have been integrated into the building and implementation of the National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for 2016-2020.

According to Luong, the 2014 amended Law on Insurance has also paid more heed to gender equality with provisions on taking leave on maternity allowance for childbirth or child adoption. Notably, the legal document has for the first time prescribed that husbands can take a maternity leave.

He commended the active role of the Vietnam Women’s Union in the building and enforcement of social welfare policies./.