Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends third ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit
The 3rd ASEAN Women Leaders' Summit, themed “Strengthening care economy and resilience towards ASEAN Community post-2025,” took place in Vientiane, Laos on August 23.
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends and delivers a speech at the third ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit via videoconference. (Photo: VNA) |
The conference saw the participation of senior leaders, ministers in charge of women's development and gender equality, outstanding female entrepreneurs from ASEAN countries, Timor Leste, partner countries and representatives of the United Nations.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and delivered a speech at the third ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit via videoconference, at an invitation of his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone.
In his speech, Chinh emphasised the great contributions by women, noting that they not only help enhance the quality of life for each family but also are pioneers in promoting the sustainable development of society.
He told participants that in 2023, the average number of hours Vietnamese women spent on unpaid domestic and caregiving work was 1.78 times that of men, and the country is striving to reduce this ratio to 1.7 by 2025. In terms of gender equality, Vietnam ranked 72nd out of the 146 countries in 2023, jumping up 11 places compared to the 2022 rankings.
He highlighted the need to promote collaboration to harness the potential and unleash the labour force of women, and enhance the care economy and resilience towards the ASEAN Community after 2025, with a comprehensive, inclusive, and global approach, and the effective engagement of the entire society, government and community, and the entire region.
The Vietnamese leader proposed ASEAN member states enhance awareness and mindset regarding the role of women, and promote stronger policies to encourage their equal participation in all fields; step up innovation, improve infrastructure, and develop a high-quality, accessible, and affordable public healthcare system, particularly in far-flung areas; and strengthen cooperation to protect the rights and legitimate interests of workers, prevent abuse, exploitation, discrimination, and illegal activities, including transnational crimes such as human trafficking.
Promoting gender equality, women's empowerment, and as well as strengthening the care economy are among the priorities for Laos' ASEAN chairmanship in 2024.
Following Vietnam's initiative during its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020, this year’s summit is a clear demonstration of ASEAN's commitment to and efforts in promoting gender equality and enhancing the role and great contributions of women and girls to family and society.
The summit focused on discussions about the challenges, difficulties and burdens that women face when undertaking unpaid care work, along with the multidimensional consequences on women's roles and contributions such as gender inequality, limited access to education and employment, gender-based violence, among others.
On that basis, the event has proposed many practical directions to raise awareness of the important role of women in the care economy and promote gender equality. Participants also proposed specific measures to increase investment in the care economy, solve complex and multidimensional issues, and better ensure the rights of workers, especially women.
(Source: VNA)
