Việt Nam strongly committed to promoting gender equality, women's rights: Ambassador

NEW YORK — Delivering a speech at the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) of the UN Economic and Social Council in New York, Vice State President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân expressed Việt Nam's high-level commitment to ensuring gender equality and women's rights.

She also pointed out Việt Nam's multifaceted engagement and contributions to this priority area.

Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, Ambassador Đặng Hoàng Giang spoke to the Vietnam News Agency in New York, and elaborated on the four proposals made by the Vice State President that are aimed at accelerating swift and effective actions in this field.

According to the diplomat, her message was the enhancement of women's participation in decision-making mechanisms in politics, economy, culture, and society, and the prioritisation of resources to support women and girls in humanitarian crises.

The proposals also highlight the empowerment and provision of access opportunities for the group in science, technology, and digital transformation, coupled with efforts to combat discrimination and violence in cyberspace.

There is also a focus on elevating the role of women in building a peaceful, stable, comprehensive, and sustainable international environment, and addressing non-traditional security challenges, particularly in climate change response.

Finally, it is necessary to promote partnerships for sustainable development, to enhance financial support and consultation for institutional and policy building in developing countries, and to share, disseminate and leverage effective models to enhance the role of women in socio-economic and sustainable development.

Discussing Việt Nam's efforts at the UN in promoting global gender equality, Giang noted that gender equality and women's rights have always been fields that Việt Nam values and actively contribute to at the national, regional and global levels.

Việt Nam was among the first countries in the world to sign the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on July 29, 1980 and ratified it on November 27, 1981. It is also a member of the Group of Friends on Gender Parity, promoting women's holding of positions at the UN, especially leadership ones. The Southeast Asian country recently adopted its national action programme on women, peace and security for 2024 - 2030 with specific objectives.

Việt Nam has been evaluated by the international community as one of the top ten countries implementing Goal 5 on promoting gender equality and women empowerment in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the ambassador highlighted.

The country is in the top one-third in the world concerning the proportions of female parliamentarians and of women participating in the workforce. Notably, its human development index for men and women is nearly equal, with women earning 81.4 per cent of estimated male income.

Giang concluded that these meaningful results reflect Việt Nam's commitment and efforts that can be shared with international friends to promote the cause of gender equality and empower women and girls, thereby contributing to the construction of a world of peace, cooperation, and sustainable development. — VNS