Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam has reaffirmed its commitments to gender equality and women’s empowerment through the implementation of robust policies and significant achievements.
This was highlighted by Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan at the fifth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Women, held in a hybrid format, on November 29. Myanmar chaired the meeting under the theme “Towards an Inclusive Society through Gender Mainstreaming and Women’s Empowerment.”
The event brought together ministers and heads of delegations responsible for women’s affairs across ASEAN member countries, along with the ASEAN Deputy Secretary General.
“With a female workforce of 23.5 million, accounting for 46.5% of the country’s total workforce, Vietnam remains steadfast in its commitments to promoting gender equality and empowering women, particularly in the fields of labour and employment,” said Hoan.
Vietnam’s Gender Inequality Index (GII) improved in 2021, reaching 0.296 and ranking 71st out of 170 countries. Hoan noted that international organisations have recognised Vietnam as one of the fastest countries in Southeast Asia to bridge gender gaps over the past 30 years.
Progress in gender equality has been evident through enhanced social awareness, reduced discrimination against women both in families and society, increased life expectancy, and better access to healthcare services. By 2022, over 90% of Vietnamese women had access to healthcare services, while enrollment rates for boys and girls in primary and secondary education continued to rise. The head of the Vietnamese delegation proposed five strategic priorities to advance women’s policies, including fostering inclusive social policies, promoting economic growth with social equity, developing a modern social welfare system, ensuring comprehensive care for all citizens, and implementing gender-responsive budgeting.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Soe Win, Union Minister of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement of Myanmar, emphasised the importance of the meeting’s theme in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment to build a more inclusive society within ASEAN.
While acknowledging the achievements, Dr. Win called for greater efforts by ASEAN and its member states, urging them to adopt gender mainstreaming as a key strategy across all areas and levels of policy-making and implementation.
Participants reviewed the implementation of activities under the ASEAN Committee on Women’s Work Plan for 2021-2025 and related documents and declarations. They underlined the importance of engaging relevant stakeholders and adopting a multi-faceted approach to accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment in the region.
At the end of the meeting, ministers and heads of delegations agreed to issue a joint statement for submission to the ASEAN Summit in 2025 for approval. The statement reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to advancing gender equality, promoting women’s empowerment, and fostering a more inclusive ASEAN community. This aligns with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025, the Hanoi Declaration on the Enhancement of Welfare and Development of ASEAN Women and Children (2010), and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children in ASEAN (2013).
The statement also praised progress in areas such as eliminating barriers to education, improving health outcomes, enhancing living conditions and access to social welfare, increasing women’s participation in the labour force, supporting women’s roles in entrepreneurship and leadership, and expanding economic opportunities for women./.
