UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen (Photo: VNA) Wiesen noted the results of last year’selection were “very encouraging” in terms of the increased number of womendeputies to the National Assembly and provincial People’s Councils.
The percentage of women in the 15thNational Assembly is now at 30.26 percent—an increase by 3.54 percent from the14th tenure. For the 2021-2026 People’s Councils, women account for 29 percentat the provincial level, 29.08 percent at the district level, and 28.98 percentat commune level which are all higher than the previous term.
However, she said, within the Party andother government leadership structures, women remain underrepresented and therehave been unfortunate regressions, citing UNDP’s research findings that havepointed out several obstacles hindering women’s political participation such associal norms.
Wiesen, therefore, stressed that moreefforts are needed by the Vietnamese government to meet its own targets set by the Resolution26-NQ/TW in 2018 of the Vietnamese Communist Party of having 35 percent ofwomen’s representation in the National Assembly and People’s Councils at alllevels by 2030.
Promoting gender equality and strengtheningpublic institutions have been central to UNDP’s mandate and developmentapproach, she said, adding that in 2022, through the new project: “GenderEquality and Women’s empowerment”, UNDP Vietnam will continue to deepen itscommitment and support to the country’s efforts in advancing women’sparticipation in political institutions at all levels.
Empowering women’s role in rural, ethnic minority-inhabitedregions
Ethnic minority women expand business and escape poverty with IR 4.0 technologies. (Photo: UNDP) UNDP Vietnam has worked closely with theMinistry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the Committee forEthnic Minority Affairs in building capacity and improving access to market forethnic minority women owned businesses.
Such projects have helpedethnic minority women design new products, increase quality and productivity,thereby improving livelihoods and income for themselves and other women intheir supply chains, she continued.
“Women’s economicempowerment and the promotion of their financial inclusion in the digital agewill play a critical role in helping governments and people achieve a bold,sustainable, resilient and gender sensitive recovery. This, in turn, is foundational to achievingthe SDGs and leaving no one behind in the context of the ‘new normal’ ofco-existing with COVID-19,” Wiesen said.
The UNDP Representative alsosuggested ways to help Vietnam promote women’s engagement in innovation andeconomic activities, saying it is crucial to bridge the digital divide wherewomen and girls are likely to fall further behind.
She highlighted theexpansion of access to credit which is critical for women-led householdbusinesses and micro and small enterprises working in the informal sector,along with innovative solutions, such as supporting financial service providersincluding banking agents that serve these enterprises to bring digitalfinancial services to under-served groups, especially in rural and ethnicminority area, are needed.
“These solutionsshould be designed and implemented in a gender-sensitive manner to address thechronic issues women-led enterprises face of having less access to credit thanmen and the risk of widening the “digital divide” between men and women.”
The UNDP Representative says it is crucial to bridge the digital divide where women and girls are likely to fall further behind. (Photo: UNDP) “Just like in politics,women’s participation in innovation and economic activities is crucial inVietnam’s journey to sustainable gender equality,” she said. “Increasingwomen’s role as producers, traders, and consumers in the economy impactspositively on inclusive growth for the country.”
UNDP is working withGovernment to create an ecosystem that enables women business ventures toflourish, according to Wiesen.
With Vietnam takingurgent actions as part of the COVID-19 recovery, there is an unprecedentedopportunity to put gender equality at the heart of caring for people and theplanet, she emphasized.
Strong commitment to promoting women’s participation in UNpeacekeeping operations
The ratio of women in the Vietnamese peacekeeping forces has steadily increased. (Photo: VNA) Vietnam sent the firstfemale staff officer to the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan in 2018 andsince then the ratio of women in the Vietnamese peacekeeping forces hassteadily increased and now has stabilised at ratios that are higher comparedwith other countries in the region, she said.
By March 2022, the number ofVietnamese women serving as UN Military Experts on Mission/Military observersis at 28.4 percent, or 3.4 higher than the target set in the “Uniformed genderparity strategy 2018-2028” of UN (25 percent). Similarly, the ratio of women serving in contingent Troops (Field Hospital3rd rotation) is at 17.4 percent surpassing the UN’s 2028 target (15 percent).
“With thedecision last year by the National Assembly, we look forward to women policesoon joining Vietnam’s peacekeeping contingents,” she said.
As a non-permanentmember of the UN Security Council in 2020-2021, Vietnam played an importantleadership role in the region and globally in promoting women in peacekeepingoperations and the broader Women, Peace, and Security Agenda.
Wiesenpledged that UNDP will further strengthen its partnership in supportingVietnam’s leading role and efforts in advancing the meaningful participation of women in the UN PeacekeepingOperations in the region and globally. /.
VNA
