Hanoi (VNA) – Caring for and protecting legitimaterights of women, both in family and  society, is the consistent policy of theVietnamese Party and State since the birth of the Democratic Republic ofVietnam in 1945, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The tireless efforts in ensuring and promoting genderequality have brought about great and practical results.

From policy to reality

The policies on gender equality rolled out in Vietnamhave kept up with different periods of time.

After President Ho Chi Minh read the Declarationof Independence declaring the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam onSeptember 2, 1945, the 1946 Constitution, the first in Vietnam, prescribedgender equality. Article 9 of the Constitution said women and men enjoy equalrights in all aspects.  

The 1959 Constitution also stipulated rights and obligationsof women in its Article 24, Chapter 3, which also emphasised equal rights ofwomen and men in politics, economy, culture, social affairs and family.
Along with integrating women’s rights into basicrights of citizens, the 1980 Constitution had exclusive regulations on rightsof women.

According to Article 57, citizens above 21 years old,regardless of their gender, can be elected to the National Assembly andall-level People’s Councils, the highest organs of State power at the centraland local levels.

Meanwhile, Article 63 said the State and the society are responsible for improving women’s political, cultural, scientific and technologicalknowledge, as well as promoting their careers, helping them to raise their position inthe society.

For labour policies, men and women in the sameemployment performing equal work receive equal pay, and women can take a maternityleave before and after childbirth with full-rate payment.

The 1992 Constitution, which was amended andsupplemented in 2001, maintained the above-said regulations.

To concretise provisions of the Constitution, Vietnamissued the Law on Gender Equality in 2006, under which women’s rights were prescribedmore adequately, specifically and comprehensively.

Other laws and legal documents have also materialisedthe Constitution’s provisions, notably the Law on Social Insurance (in 2006 and2014), the 2006 Law on Residence, the 2007 Law on Domestic Violence Preventionand Control, and the Law on Marriage and Family (in 2000 and 2014), amongothers.

The 2013 Constitution has detailed regulations onrights of women, with articles from 14 to 49 of Chapter 2 stipulating human rightsand rights of citizens, including women.

The legal regulations emphasise equal and priorityrights of women, like those in employment, job arrangement and retirement, helpingwomen prove their capacity and avoid risks at workplace, in family and society.

Numbers speak

The 15th National Assembly of Vietnam was elected onMay 23, 2021 with 499 deputies, including 151 females or 30.26 percent of thetotal. This is the second time that female NA deputies have exceeded 30 percent. The first time was recorded in the 5th legislature with 32.31 percent.

During the first tenure, female deputies made up only3 percent. However, they had outstandingly performed their tasks.

The 14th tenure has gone down in the75-year history of the legislature as the first time a woman was sworn in as chairof the NA – Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and at the same time, another woman assumedthe post of vice chair – Tong Thi Phong.

The number of female NA deputies holding leadershippositions during the present tenure now accounts for nearly 40 percent of thetotal.

Meanwhile, female representatives at People’s Councils at the provinciallevel make up 26.5 percent, up 1.37 percent from the previous term; and at thedistrict level, 27,9 percent, a rise of 3.2 percent as compared with theprevious tenure.

At the 13th National Party Congress, amongthe members of the Party Central Committee officially elected, 18 are female.Meanwhile, out of 63 secretaries of municipal and provincial Party Committeesfor 2020-2025, nine are female, the highest number so far.

Vietnam’s efforts in gender equality have been acknowledgedby the international community.

The country ranks 51st globally, fourth inAsia and first in the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in the rate of femaleNA deputies.
Its gender equality index is also constantly rising asVietnam claimed the 87th position out of the 153 countries surveyed for gendergap narrowing.

Vietnam has a greater percentage of women in seniorleadership positions than the global average, according to Grant Thornton’sInternational Business Report.

In Vietnam’s mid-market companies, women hold 33percent of senior leadership positions with the most common being personnel director (36 percent) and chief financial officer (32 percent).Globally the rate is 29 percent.

Ninety five percent of businesses in Vietnam have atleast one woman in senior management, again above the global rate of 87percent./.