Vietnam makes progress in gender equality

Mr Rohland affirmed women's important role for every country in economic development and maintenance of political stability. He stressed the two important facets of the implementation of gender equality in Vietnam, namely equality in education and promoting women's participation in leadership. The donors community always supports Vietnam's implementation of national strategies o­n gender equality and women's advancement, he said.

At the conference, the Vietnam Women's Union revealed its tasks through 2010, namely improving women's material, cultural and spiritual lives, and creating conditions for women to effectively implement their fundamental rights and increase their roles in all areas.

Vietnam is striving to eliminate illiteracy for more than 98 percent women under the age of 40, increase the rate of trained workers among employed women to 30 percent, and raise the average life-span of women to over 72 years by 2010. Other targets include giving three pregnancy exams to 60 percent of expectant mothers and ensuring that at least 95 percent of women have access to medical services.

The focus will be o­n improving the quality and effectiveness of women's political, economic, cultural and social activities in order to increase the rate of women in  leadership at all levels and raising the number of women to 20 percent of Party committee members, 30 percent of National Assembly deputies and 28 percent of membership of provincial and municipal People's Councils. A legal foundation for gender equality will be created and policies for women's advancement will be completed.

Phan Quang Trung, Vice Minister of Planning and Investment and member of the National Committee for Vietnamese Women's Advancement, said that Vietnamese women's material and spiritual lives have been markedly improved, women's roles in family and society have been raised and gender equality has been promoted.