United Nations experiences helped to understand more values of life: Vietnamese female soldier
WVR - The participation of women in United Nations missions serves as inspiration, creating role models for women and girls.
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This thought was shared by Captain Vu Nhat Huong, Assistant of International Cooperation Department, Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations. She worked as Communication Officerat the Communications Department, United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) for the term 2021-2022.
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| Captain Vu Nhat Huong receiving the United Nations Peacekeeping Medal, awarded by the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic, in December 2022. |
In recent years, the international community has acknowledged Vietnam's efforts in developing gender equality. So, in your opinion, what is the solid foundation to achieve the national gender equality goals in the coming period?
In the face of new global developments, despite peace, cooperation, and development have become the trend of the times, the world still grapples with significant risks and challenges.
Each nation, ethnicity, and women cannot develop amid the existence of war, conflict, violence, and security challenges. Therefore, peace and security have become common goals, shared responsibilities of all nations, ethnicities, and humanity, including Vietnam and Vietnamese women.
Drawing on the tradition of "Heroic, Indomitable, Faithful, Responsible" with the spirit of "Unity - Innovation - Equality - Integration," Vietnamese women has actively participated in United Nations peacekeeping activities, fulfilling their roles and responsibilities in contributing to developing the national, regional, and global peace and security goals.
Participating in United Nations peacekeeping activities is considered a challenging and dangerous mission. Every individual participating in United Nations peacekeeping activities, regardless of gender, must be in good health, possess strong political determination, have solid military and professional knowledge, be proficient in foreign languages, exhibit ethical qualities, and survival skills, etc.
For female military personnel, these challenges are multiplied due to biological differences with men in terms of health, mental well-being, and emotions.
In Vietnam, overcoming these difficulties, female military forces embark on missions with determined spirits, traveling to remote lands such as the Central African Republic, South Sudan—places with extremely challenging living conditions, scarcity, harsh weather, impoverished populations, and outdated infrastructure. Simultaneously, they face disease and imminent dangers during conflicts; miss their families and homes while fulfilling their duties of protecting and assisting the most vulnerable in the local communities.
What are the specific tasks of female military personnel?
At peacekeeping missions, Vietnamese female military personnel work in various positions with different roles, such as staff officers, military observers, trainers, and medical personnel. In addition to the assigned tasks from the United Nations, they also engage in teaching, assisting mothers with basic knowledge of nurturing and caring for children, making and distributing masks to support local residents and colleagues in the peacekeeping mission in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Simultaneously, they organize medical examinations, provide free medications to the local population, and perform tasks related to the protection of women and children.
These female peacekeepers serve as bridges, helping building trust with local communities, thereby helping to prevent and minimize conflicts and confrontations. Most importantly, the presence of women in United Nations Missions serves as inspirations and role models for women and girls to become meaningful contributors to peace and politics.
Vietnam takes pride in having a 20% participation rate of female personnel in United Nations missions. In United Nations missions, women play a crucial role in guiding and community activities. Based on the central role of women in Vietnamese society, their participation and policy-making contributions have been meaningful, comprehensive, and fair. In the peacekeeping and peacebuilding process, it will promote stability, social cohesion, and sustainable peace.
Therefore, in the field of peacekeeping, to construct the solid foundation in achieving Vietnam's gender equality goals in the coming period, it is necessary to boldly use female officers for important positions suggested by the United Nations for Vietnam, such as high-level staff officers, sector commanders, and mission commanders. These positions can be prioritized after completing United Nations peacekeeping missions.
Additionally, provide more comprehensive knowledge for female military personnel so they can qualify for positions in United Nations policy-making bodies. It is also important to apply motivation policies and incentives to increase the percentage of women in the foreign affairs sector of the defense and adopt policies to attract capable civilian women to be recruited into the military, serving as sources for female officers participating in United Nations peacekeeping activities in the future.
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| Captain Vu Nhat Huong. (Photo courtesy) |
What challenges will women face in the 4.0 era of artificial intelligence (AI)?
In today's society, artificial intelligence (AI) is human-programmed intelligence with the goal of enabling computers to automate intelligent behaviors such as thinking and reasoning to solve problems, understanding language, communicating through language, learning, and adapting. Despite the positive aspects brought by AI, it is clear that machines have replaced humans, even in emotional aspects.
I am a young person, born, raised, educated, and working in a period when the country is experiencing strong development. Sometimes, I become indifferent and apathetic to ordinary things in life, such as awkwardly expressing love or lazily participating in activities with a community focus. Instead, smartphones are used to replace the awkwardness and laziness.
Spending a year living and working in the sunny and windy land of Africa, AI is a luxury for us. Life here is like a movie in the 1980s, where the internet and international telephone networks are not yet popular. Sending a message and whether that message can be sent or not is uncertain. Thanks to this, when there is a good phone signal, a quick phone call helped me courageously express love to my loved ones without any hesitation.
It is difficult to find a microwave, a dishwasher, or a smart vacuum cleaner to handle household chores, but in return, we can use intelligence and collective health to solve and share community tasks.
Instead of sending donation via a message, in Africa, we have used our eyes, smiles, and hearts to participate in volunteer programs at orphanages, schools, etc. Applying the youthfulness and creativity of the collective to promote the unique Vietnamese culture, introduce it to friends from all continents with enthusiasm and humanitarianism.
From personal experience, a major challenge in the era of artificial intelligence for humans is distance. Fortunately, over the past year, I have had a period of "slowing down" for myself to understand more about the value of life in a society and economy that is developing at home.
Thank you!
