Representative from Bac Ninh province Nguyen Thi Kim Anh speaks at a National Assembly session (Photo: VNA) At the event, jointly held by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Belgium-Vietnam (CCIBV) and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF) representative office in the EU, Dr. Vu Thi Minh Huong, Vice Chairperson of UNESCO Memory of the World Committee of Asia-Pacific (MOWCAP), noted that the ratio of female representatives at the National Assembly of Vietnam is 30.26 percent, while that of women leaders is 31 percent.
Huong cited a series of laws applied in Vietnam showing attention to and protection of the rights and interests of women, including those on gender equality, marriage, and labour.
Regarding Vietnamese women’s rights, the Constitution and legal documents of Vietnam clarify two fundamental factors of “equality and priority”, she stated.
As an agricultural country, most of women in Vietnam have worked in the agricultural sector, Huong said, adding that many have explored science-technology to improve productivity.
Andre Flahaut, Minister of State and former President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in Brussels, expressed his admiration to Vietnamese women’s bravery, hardworking, and brainpower shown in the past struggle for national independence as well as their strong engagement in socio-economic activities inside and outside the country today.
Flahaut highlighted the bravery of Tran To Nga, a Vietnamese victim of Agent Orange/dioxin who has been pursuing a lawsuit against US chemical companies to reclaim justice for the victims of the toxic chemicals.
Speaking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Brussels, Madeleine Oka-Balima, head of the OIF Committee for Gender Equality, highly valued the role and contributions of Vietnamese women to the French-speaking community. She said that the IOF has operated many programmes to support women in Vietnam in agricultural sector to help them optimise their capacity.
Meanwhile, CCIBV President Bérengère Ménart said that the chamber has provided waste treatment equipment to plants Vietnamese cities and provinces, of which the majority of workers are women. She said she is impressed by efforts, enthusiasm and optimism of Vietnamese women.
The French-speaking community currently has about 140 million women who are making great contributions to socio-economic development in their countries. Women are the group that is hardest hit by COVID-19, and also a strong force in fighting the pandemic./.
VNA
