The National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam always attaches special importance to and makes great efforts in promoting gender equality and women’s development, affirmed NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan at the meeting on October 25 with heads of delegations attending the third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Women (AMMW-3) in Hanoi.The Vietnamese top legislator also affirmed Vietnam is willing to cooperate with other ASEAN member nations in promoting gender equality, adding that Vietnam has made great efforts in this field and is highly valued by other countries.
NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan receives heads of delegations attending the third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Women. Photo: VNA
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Ministers attending the meeting are scheduled to adopt a joint statement to affirm commitments and orientations in promoting gender equality, women’s empowerment and ensuring social welfare, thus realizing the common goals of the ASEAN Community by 2025 and implementing the United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030, Dung added.
The NA chairwoman appreciated the contents discussed at the AMMW-3, noting that the ASEAN members have made great progress in enhancing the role of women.
Ngan stressed that within the framework of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the NA of Vietnam has actively been strengthening cooperation with parliaments of other AIPA member nations, adding that Vietnam issued laws to promote gender equality, prevent domestic violence and discrimination against women, enhance gender mainstreaming in national programs, and supervise the implementation of regulations on gender equality in laws and policies.
Sharing about Vietnam's efforts to promote gender equality and empowerment for women, Ngan emphasized that the gender equality-related issues was noted in the country’s first Constitution in 1946 and this view is consistent throughout all Vietnam’s constitutions and concretized in several action programs.
The proportion of female deputies to the 14th NA for the 2016-2021 term is 27.2% (132 female delegates/485 total members), 19% higher than the Asian average and 21% of the global average rate. The NA of Vietnam aims to achieve at least 30% of female NA deputies in the coming term, Ngan noted.
She stressed that Vietnam ranks 69 out of 144 countries in terms of narrowing the gap between men and women in all sectors, being one of the 10 best performers in the world in promoting gender equality and empowerment for women and girls, improving the knowledge of girls and increasing the participation of women at work.
The number of female-owned enterprises in Vietnam is 27.8% in 2017, the highest in Southeast Asia, ranked 19/54 in the Women Entrepreneurs Index and 7/54 among nations with numerous female business owners, Ngan added.
On behalf of the delegation of ASEAN Women Ministers, Chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Women Remedios I. Rikken expressed her impression for achievements Vietnam has made in the field of gender equality, women's participation in political activities. She also shared some important achievements of the Philippines in the field of gender equality.
NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan congratulated the Philippines on the achievements made in three years as it held the chairmanship of AMMW, saying that obstacles and shortcomings in Vietnam and other ASEAN nations make it difficult for women to access resources, participate in the labor market and enjoy social security services.
Thus, Ngan expressed her desire that ASEAN ministers in charge of women issues will continue work hard to promote gender equality and empowerment of women; ensuring equal opportunities in terms of education, employment and access to social security towards the common goals of the ASEAN Community 2025 and the UN Agenda 2030.
