Vietnam and ASEAN promote gender equality, eliminate violence against women and children

(Chinhphu.vn) - On August 12, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Home Affairs coordinated with the Office of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam to organize a Consultation Workshop of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC).

National consultation workshop of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children - Photo: VGP/Thu Giang

In his opening speech at the workshop, Mr. Luu Quang Tuan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation ( Ministry of Home Affairs ) highly appreciated the efforts of ACWC over the past 15 years to improve the quality of life for ASEAN women and children through the 5-year Work Plans. Activities focused on promoting gender equality, gender mainstreaming, strengthening the child protection system and addressing emerging issues affecting the rights of women and children.

In particular, ASEAN has paid more attention to vulnerable groups of women such as women with disabilities - who are at high risk of violence and have difficulty accessing support services and justice. One example is the development of the ASEAN Guidelines on Integrating Disability into Policies and Programmes to Prevent and Combat Violence Against Women and Girls .

Vietnam: From Policy to Action

Mr. Luu Quang Tuan said that as an active, proactive and responsible member of ASEAN, Vietnam has integrated the goals of the ASEAN Action Plan and the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals into national policies and laws.

Typical examples are the National Strategy on Gender Equality for the 2021-2030 period , the Program on Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence for the 2021-2025 period, and the Law on Prevention and Control of Domestic Violence (amended in 2022) .

Vietnam has also promoted communication activities to raise awareness and change the behavior of people of all walks of life regarding gender equality, and implemented many models to support women who have suffered violence, such as one-stop centers, hotlines, and capacity building training programs for officials in the justice, health , and police sectors.

According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024 published by the World Economic Forum, Vietnam's gender equality ranking in 2024 ranked 72nd out of 146 countries, up 11 places compared to 2022.

Vietnam's election to the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) for the 2025-2027 term with an absolute majority of votes further affirms Vietnam's prestige in the international arena in general, and in the field of promoting gender equality in particular.

Ms. Caroline Nyamayemombe, UN Women Representative in Vietnam, recommended that Vietnam take the lead in promoting a number of strategic priorities. These include: Building an integrated, multi-sectoral model for responding to violence against women and children, especially in the context of natural disasters and crises; promulgating and implementing policies to ensure digital safety and prevent violence in cyberspace as well as technological means; ensuring the systematic participation of women and children with disabilities in all stages of policies and programs.

Shift the focus from awareness raising to evidence-based comprehensive prevention to change behaviours and social norms; invest in professional social workers serving all ages in efforts to eliminate all forms of violence.

At the workshop, delegates listened to a report on the implementation of the ACWC Work Plan 2021-2025, Vietnam's priority suggestions for the 2026-2030 period, and reviewed the ASEAN Action Plan on Eliminating Violence Against Women 2016-2025.

Delegates also proposed priorities for the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Elimination of Violence against Women 2026-2035, with a focus on disability mainstreaming and considering the close relationship between violence against women and violence against children.

In the coming time, Vietnam needs to prioritize the development and expansion of specialized support models for victims, including psychological, legal, medical, and shelter support services. In particular, attention should be paid to support services for victims of cyber violence, which are still lacking in many localities.

At the same time, strengthen the capacity of frontline staff; build a national database, focus on vulnerable groups, promote research to understand the causes and context of violence, thereby designing realistic policies...

The ACWC was established on 7 April 2010 in Hanoi, Vietnam, on the occasion of the 16th ASEAN Summit. The objective of the Commission is to promote, protect, respect and fulfil the rights of women and children in ASEAN so that they can live in peace, equality, justice and prosperity.

The Committee comprises 20 ASEAN Member States Representatives on Women's and Children's Rights, with each country sending two representatives. Currently, the two ACWC Representatives on Women's and Children's Rights of Vietnam are representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health.

Thu Giang

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/viet-nam-cung-asean-thuc-day-binh-dang-gioi-xoa-bo-bao-luc-voi-phu-nu-tre-em-102250812131800891.htm