Vietnam affirms position and strategic commitment at dialogue session with CEDAW Committee
WVR - On February 3, at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the Vietnamese inter-agency delegation led by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha successfully conducted the ninth national report defense session on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
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| Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha speaks at the Dialogue Session with the CEDAW Committee. |
The dialogue session took place amid significant international shifts concerning human rights, drawing special attention from CEDAW Committee members and international organizations. Attending the defense session were Ambassador Mai Phan Dũng, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam in Geneva, along with representatives from the National Assembly's Cultural and Social Committee and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Public Security, Health, Justice, and Home Affairs, showcasing comprehensive inter-agency coordination in addressing the implementation of the Convention.
Throughout the extended discussion conducted in an open and constructive spirit, the Vietnamese delegation demonstrated the country's relentless efforts in institutionalizing CEDAW's provisions into the national legal system.
Deputy Minister Nguyễn Thị Hà affirmed that the Party and State of Vietnam consistently regard gender equality as a core objective in the nation's development process. Vietnam has enacted a comprehensive policy system to encourage and facilitate women's equal rights in political, economic, cultural, and social spheres.
A highlight of this report is the realization of the Constitution through legal provisions such as the 2019 Labor Code with progressive regulations promoting genuine gender equality, the 2024 Social Insurance Law expanding social security coverage for women, and the 2024 Land Law marking a significant step in asset management from a gender perspective.
Notably, the 2022 Law on Domestic Violence Prevention has completely shifted the focus to victims of violence, supporting primarily women and girls. Additionally, the 2017 Legal Aid Law has expanded free support for vulnerable women groups, from impoverished households and ethnic minorities in especially difficult areas to victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.
Gender equality integration extends beyond social policies to economic and governance fields with the 2025 State Budget Law emphasizing gender assurance in national resource allocation, the 2017 Law on Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises ensuring equal business opportunities while prioritizing resources for women-led businesses or those employing a large female workforce, and the 2025 Population Law marking a significant shift towards respecting human rights and promoting women's autonomy.
Alongside legal system enhancement, the Vietnamese government has issued and implemented synchronized strategies and action programs on gender equality to empower women. This policy system not only sets clear objectives but also perfects inter-agency coordination mechanisms, optimizes resources and execution responsibilities, providing a solid foundation for women to equitably access and benefit from social achievements.
These persistent internal efforts have yielded specific quantitative results, helping Vietnam assert a strong position on the international stage. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2025, Vietnam made a leap to rank 74th out of 148 countries, up 9 places from 2022. This recognition from the international community is even more significant as Vietnam serves as a member of the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women for the 2025-2027 term.
In a heartfelt closing speech at the session, Deputy Minister Nguyễn Thị Hà emphasized that the dialogue took place at a historic and particularly significant time as Vietnam had just successfully organized the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The Deputy Minister affirmed that the documents of the 14th Congress serve as a "compass" defining the strategic vision for the new development phase, where the goal of building a prosperous nation with a foundation of social justice and progress is central. The 14th Congress continued to emphasize the priority of developing female human resources and increasing the participation rate of women in leadership bodies at all levels, considering this a crucial political commitment of the Party and State of Vietnam to eliminate all existing societal barriers.
On behalf of the Vietnamese government, the Head of the delegation deeply acknowledged the concerns and recommendations of the Committee regarding emerging challenges such as gender stereotypes, gender imbalance at birth, and the rights of vulnerable women groups in the digital era.
With a spirit of receptiveness and genuine commitment, the Vietnamese delegation announced a three-step roadmap following the dialogue, including fully reporting the results to the government to integrate into the action program implementing the 14th Congress Resolution, urgently developing a National Action Plan with commensurate financial resources, and continuing to perfect the gender-sensitive legal system.
Vietnam remains steadfast in its goal of building a wealthy, strong, democratic, just, and civilized society where all women have the opportunity to maximize their creative potential and contribute to the nation's sustainable development. These strong commitments once again affirm to the CEDAW Committee that Vietnam will relentlessly strive to transform recommendations into positive and substantive changes in reality.
