📝 OP-ED Gender equality key to family happiness

Hanoi (VNA) – The robust economic growth over the past decades have broughtabout substantial changes in the society, particularly the traditional familyvalues.

It is ofgreat significance for the society to nurture family values still relevant to thepresent time for the preservation of the Vietnamese cultural identity, and womenplay an important role in this regard.

In their many documents, resolutions and policies, the Partyand State have persistently declared the family stability is among the decisivefactors for the success of Vietnam’s path towards industrialisation, modernisationand socialism.

Every family acts as a “cell” of the society to create the next generations. (Photo: VNA)

In itsDirective dated June 24, 2021, the Secretariat of the Communist Partyof Vietnam stated that every family acts as a “cell” of the society to createthe next generations, as a place for people’s development and education sinceearly days, for the preservation and promotion of traditional cultures, and for national construction and defence. As the family is key to the country’s sustainable development, itis vital to develop the Vietnamese family values in the new era.

Presidentof the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Ha Thi Nga highlighted the promotion of theVietnamese family values as a task of women, the union and its members. Over the past manyyears, the VWU and its local chapters have accelerated awareness campaigns forwomen, and helped enhance their competency and build civilised families.

Betterearnings have allowed Vietnamese families to enjoy improved living standards,said Dr. Nguyen Thi Nhu Hue from the Academy of Journalism and Communications,adding that to make happy and prosperous families, women must be provided withaccess to funding, employment opportunities and sustainable livelihoods.

Delegates to the ongoing 13th National Women's Congress. (Photo: VNA)

For years,the VWU has initiated various projects to support women in developinglivelihoods, starting a business, getting out of poverty, and providing education totheir children, she noted.

Assoc. Prof,Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thi, Institute for Family and Gender Studies at the VietnamAcademy of Social Studies, emphasised the need to promote gender equality inmodern families today, saying it is also fundamental to the happiness of afamily.

Vietnamesefamilies, on one hand, preserve ethic traditions and on the other hand aregoing towards modern values with both husbands and wives seen as breadwinners,she explained. It shows that the Vietnamese families are keeping up with socialchanges in modern days.

Gender equality is fundamental to the happiness of a family.

However, areport by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs reveals that genderdiscrimination and gender-based violence remain rampant in Vietnam and women’seconomic power is still far behind men’s. Average time women spend on doing housework is 2.1 times that of men while they spend an equal amount of timeon the work in the society.

Equality isdecisive to maintaining a happy family, Thi said, as it enables family members tobond through sharing chores every day.

Vietnamesewomen today are becoming increasingly open-minded about marriage and family andwant to liberate themselves from gender stereotypes, she added./.

VNA