Participating in the State management in order to care for and protect women’s rights and legitimate interests

In her opening remarks, VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa highlighted that the VWU’s role in the State management is clearly stated in the Constitution, the 2011 Platform of the Party, laws and many sub-law documents. The VWU performs this role through its representation functions of caring for and protecting legal rights and legitimate interests of women of different social strata, participation in building the Party and governments of different levels; uniting and mobilizing women to comply with the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State’s laws; and mobilizing the society to exercise gender equality. VWU President affirmed that the training course is to help VWU staff see responsibilities of WU at all levels in the State management and expressed her expectation that all the trainees will have their capacities and skills in social governance, oversight and consultation enhanced in order to participate more proactively and effectively in local State management.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Victoria Kwakwa, Country Director of the World Bank in Vietnam (WB), highly appreciated the legal framework in Vietnam that encourages the VWU to participate in the State management. She also said that with a wide reach across the country and with its ability to go down to the grassroots level, the VWU have opportunities to make contributions to making laws and policies, monitoring over their enforcement and giving social feedback in orderto protect the rights of women and girls in Vietnam. The Country Director expressed the WB’s happiness to partner with the VWU in this initiative and commitment to support the Government of Vietnam in the implementation of its progressive gender legislation.

VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, WB Country Director Victoria Kwakwa, VWU Vice President Bui Thi Hoa and the participants at the opening ceremony

The 3-day training focused o­n some such key contents as implementation of Government Decree 56/2012/ND-CP dated 16 July, 2012 prescribing responsibilities of ministries, sectors and branches, and people’s committees at all levels in ensuring the participation in State management by the VWU; Discussion o­n social oversight and consultation activities in line with Politburo Decision 217-QD/TW dated 12 December, 2013; VWU main tasks related to policies and laws in 2015. In addition, the participants are also equipped with a number of skills needed to do the work of State management, social oversight and consultation.

After the training in the North, other workshops with similar contents were organized, including 1 regional workshop for provincial staff held in Ho Chi Minh City in April and 6 workshops held in 3 provinces of Quang Nam, Yen Bai and Ba Ria Vung Tau in May (2 workshops/ province) for WU staff at provincial, district and commune levels as well as staff of other relevant sectors and agencies in those localities.