Việt Nam launches National Report on 30 years of implementing Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has made significant progress in advancing gender equality, climbing 11 places to rank 72nd out of 146 countries in last year’s Global Gender Gap Index. Women now hold 30.26 per cent of seats in the National Assembly — one of the highest rates in the Asia–Pacific region.

The achievement was highlighted on Friday at the launch of Việt Nam’s National Report on 30 Years of Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The event, organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in Việt Nam, marked an important milestone in the country’s three-decade journey to advance gender equality and empower women.

Data presented at the conference showed that women account for 46.8 per cent of Việt Nam’s total labour force, with a female labour participation rate of 62.4 per cent. Women-owned enterprises make up 28.2 per cent of all businesses, and the gender gap in basic education has been largely closed.

The report reviews the progress made since the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, assessing both achievements and ongoing challenges in realising the goals of the Beijing Platform for Action. It also reaffirms Việt Nam’s strong political commitment to accelerating the implementation of international commitments on gender equality in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyễn Thị Hà speaks at the event. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

Over the past three decades — particularly during the 2019–2023 period — the Government of Việt Nam has demonstrated strong determination to promote equal rights for women and men by improving its legal and policy framework, said Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyễn Thị Hà.

Gender equality has been consistently recognised as a cornerstone of social progress and sustainable development, with the principle of 'leaving no one behind' integrated across national strategies, laws and programmes.

Nationwide initiatives have been rolled out to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, promote gender equality communication and strengthen women’s participation in leadership and decision-making positions.

“These efforts — driven by government agencies and socio-political organisations at all levels — have led to remarkable achievements that have been recognised by the international community,” said Hà.

In recent years, Việt Nam’s legal and policy framework on gender equality has become more comprehensive, with significant progress in ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men.

Key legislation such as the 2019 Labour Code, the 2022 Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, the 2024 Law on Social Insurance and the National Strategy on Gender Equality 2021–2030 have set out clear goals and actions to narrow gender gaps and promote equal participation in all aspects of social and economic life.

These frameworks have laid a solid foundation for elevating women’s status across all sectors.

Việt Nam has also strengthened health care for ethnic minority and migrant women, while services for survivors of gender-based violence have expanded and improved significantly in both reach and quality.

Despite these achievements, several challenges remain. Gender stereotypes persist, sex-disaggregated data remains incomplete and emerging issues such as population ageing, climate change, natural disasters and pandemics continue to affect livelihoods — especially those of women and children.

“Economic development must go hand in hand with social progress and equity, placing women and children at the heart of all development policies. Việt Nam is committed to strengthening State management systems and ensuring gender mainstreaming across all sectors and levels,” said the Deputy Minister.

The launch follows the High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on September 22 this year, marking the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, attended by representatives from over 100 countries. At the meeting, Việt Nam reaffirmed its commitment to achieving its national gender equality targets by 2030.

Commitment

Caroline Nyamayemombe, UN Women Representative in Việt Nam, commits to working alongside Việt Nam to translate the country’s strong political commitments into tangible results for women and girls. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

Also speaking at the event, Caroline Nyamayemombe, UN Women Representative in Việt Nam, stated that thirty years after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, no country in the world has yet achieved full gender equality.

“As the global community enters the final stretch toward 2030, Việt Nam stands among those countries demonstrating consistent strong national ownership and a forward-looking vision for gender equality,” she said.

“I therefore congratulate the Government of Việt Nam and the Ministry of Home Affairs for leading the national Beijing + 30 review (2019–2023) and engaging in all the multilateral processes that have taken place.” 

As the country heads towards the national elections, she called for continued focus on the targets set in the National Strategy for Gender Equality on women’s leadership as well as the quota for representation.

“Việt Nam stands among those countries demonstrating consistent leadership, strong national ownership and a forward-looking vision for gender equality. Let us seize the momentum of Beijing + 30 to deliver on the promise made thirty years ago — for equality, dignity and opportunity for all women and girls,” said Nyamayemombe.

“UN Women remains committed to working alongside the Ministry of Home Affairs, government agencies, mass organisations and development partners to translate Việt Nam’s strong political commitments into tangible results for women and girls — in every province, community and family.”