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Responding to the COVID-19 situation, Miss Universe Vietnam has extended its application deadline to mid-November which will remain adjustable due to the development of the pandemic.

Vietnam always focuses on gender equality issues, increasing the percentage of female soldiers involving in missions in different branches and other important issues to gradually promote the participation of women in this field, Major General Vu Cuong Quyet, Director of the Institute for Defence Strategy under the Ministry of National Defence said on September 22.

Empowerment and equality for women in all fields are high priorities on the ASEAN agenda. However, in reality, there are still many challenges in narrowing the gender gap in the region and for each member country, said Ha Thi Nga, President of the Vietnam Women's Union.

Vietnam should make targeted investments in changing social norms towards advancing gender equality, heard a virtual conference on the Final Review of the National Strategy on Gender Equality (NSGE) in 2011-2020 and Implementation of the NSGE for the 2021-2030 period.

The national strategy on gender equality helped to narrow gender gap in different fields during the 2011-2020 period, contributing to the country’s socio-economic development, heard a meeting on August 12.

The gender gaps within and between the ethnic minority groups and the Kinh ethnic group remain substantive and persist across various socio-economic fields, according to reports conducted by a group of international organisations and local authorities.

Vietnam made outstanding achievements in gender equality in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2015 to 2019, including a drop of 4.7 percent in the rate of child marriage in ethnic minority groups, according to a report released on August 4.

Cambodian Deputy Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn said on August 3 that Cambodia will cooperate with the US within the Mekong River connectivity frameworks.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Vietnam on August 3 launched the campaign #KeepingGirlsinthePicture - "For a future picture with girls", calling on the community to share inspirational stories to encourage ethnic minority students, especially girls, to continue their studies after the pandemic ends.

The Vietnamese Women Union (VWU) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) held a workshop on July 16, in both in-person and virtual forms, to discuss gender equality in social insurance policy of Vietnam.

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, on June 2 called on the international community to join hands in developing and diversifying assistance to ensure sustainable financial sources for gender equality initiatives and relevant projects of the Sahel.

Vietnam has made considerable progress in promoting gender equality, which is shown in areas of education, employment and women’s engagement in the country’s political life, Moroccan Ambassador to Vietnam Jamale Chouaibi has said.

Adding the gender issue to climate change policies is crucial to promoting gender equality in Vietnam, according to Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) Nguyen Trung Thang.

A seminar was held in Hanoi on April 19 to discuss promoting gender equality in the election of female deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils.

A directory listing organisations and agencies offering support for women and child survivors of gender-based violence and abuse in Vietnam, the first of its kind, has been launched.

Vietnam’s efforts in realizing gender equality have achieved encouraging results. Violence against women and girls tends to decrease. Female deputies in the National Assembly account for 27.31 percent of the total, higher than the world’s rate.

Gender equality at the workplace needs to be recognised as one of the drivers of long-term growth and breakthroughs for businesses, especially as Vietnam has a high proportion of women in the labour market, according to Nguyen Quang Vinh, General Secretary of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on March 12 held a gathering with the participation of female diplomats and representatives of international organisations, spouses of ambassadors, and the ministry’s officials to celebrate the 111th International Women’s Day.

The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) on March 9 joined stock exchanges around the world in a global initiative called “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” - a partnership that highlights the economic imperative of empowering women in the workplace, marketplace, and community.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on March 8 launched the ASEAN Regional Study on Women, Peace and Security which presents evidence-based recommendations to support member states in enhancing women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding and conflict prevention, resolution, and post-conflict processes, in line with regional and international commitments.