A woman works at a farm. (Source: VNA)Hanoi(VNA) – Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work was the focusof a round-table discussion held in Hanoi on March 3 by the UN in collaborationwith the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).
The event, timedto mark the International Women’s Day March 8, brought together nearly 100delegates from ministries and government agencies, social-politicalorganisations, civil social organisations and UN agencies in Vietnam.
Minister ofLabour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, who is also the chairman ofthe National Committee for Women’s Advancement, said Vietnam currently has53.27 million labourers employed, of which women account for 48 percent.
However,according to Minister Dung, the quality of jobs for women remains low andunstable; the rate of women working in the informal economy remains relativelyhigh and 62.4 percent of women do unpaid domestic work.
According to KamalMalhotra, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, empowering women economically andensuring the rights of women at the workplace is crucial to successfullyimplement the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms ofDiscrimination against Women (CEDAW),to which Vietnam is a member.
Inorder to promote gender equality in the changing world of work, Dao Quang Vinh,Director of the Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs under the MoLISA,recommended that Vietnam needs to revise laws and remove regulations unfavourablefor women human resources development.
Heurged measures to help groups of disadvantaged women labourers access andbenefit from human resources development policies.
DeputyMinister of MOLISA Nguyen Trong Dam said it is necessary to revise and completelaws and policies relating to gender equality and women’s advancement. He also urgedefforts to eliminate gender prejudices and stereotypes, noting that women themselves should become moreproactive in building their own capability and actively participate in the building,enforcement and supervision of policies.-VNA
