Workshop: Enhancing capacity and ensuring safety for military women for peace and security in the digital era
WVR - On February 7, an international workshop on “Enhancing capacity and ensuring safety for military women for peace and security in the digital era” took place in Hanoi.
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| The international workshop 'Enhancing capacity and ensuring safety for military women for peace and security in the digital era' on February 7 in Hanoi. (Source: UN Women) |
The workshop was organized by the Military Women’s Union, Standing Body of the of the Vietnam Ministry of National Defence Committee for the Advancement of Women coordinated with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women in Vietnam (UN Women), with the support from Canada’s Military Training and Cooperation Programme (MTCP) under the Canadian Department of National Defence.
The event took place as Vietnam accelerates the implementation of its National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2024–2030) and strengthens the legal and policy framework on cybersecurity, gender equality, and digital transformation, including commitments under the Hanoi Convention on cybercrime, the Law on Cybersecurity, the Law on Gender Equality, and Resolution 57 on innovation and digital transformation.
The workshop marked an important milestone for the Military Women Union (the standing body supporting the Committee for the Advancement of Women of the Ministry of National Defence), as it was the first independently organized international event on this topic. The workshop served as a forum for units under the Vietnam Ministry of National Defence and partners to exchange views on the role and capacities of military women in advancing the objectives of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the context of digital transformation, while also promoting cooperation between the Vietnam Ministry of National Defence, UN Women, Canada, and potential partners on Women, Peace and Security in the digital era.
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| Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defence. (Source: UN Women) |
Speaking at the workshop, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defence, affirmed: “I highly appreciate the close coordination between the Committee for the Advancement of Women of the Vietnam Ministry of National Defence, UN Women Vietnam, and international partners in organizing this workshop. This clearly demonstrates Vietnam’s defence foreign policy of peace, cooperation, and responsibility, and affirms Vietnam’s commitment to implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda”.
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| UN Women Representative in Vietnam Caroline Nyamayemombe. (Source: UN Women) |
UN Women Representative in Vietnam Caroline Nyamayemombe underscored that empowering and protecting military women in the digital era is not only a matter of rights, but also of operational readiness, strategic advantage and national security.
“Ensuring that women have the skills, safety and leadership opportunities they need strengthens armed forces and enhances their effectiveness”, she said.
Representing the Embassy of Canada in Vietnam, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Payne, Canadian Defence Attaché to Vietnam, noted: “As part of its longstanding partnership with Vietnam, through programs delivered under the Military Training and Cooperation Program, Canadian instructors and subject‑matter experts are helping strengthen Vietnam’s ability to deploy well‑prepared women peacekeepers, mainstream gender perspectives into military operations, and safeguard female officers against growing cyber threats. This reflects Canada’s commitment to practical, operational cooperation that enhances the effectiveness, inclusiveness, and security of peace operations worldwide.”
Through three discussion sessions, moderated by Colonel Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, Head of the Military Women Union, and Mr. Japhet William Graham Eichel from the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the workshop discussed requirements for strengthening military women’s digital capacity in line with their mandates; identified key risks related to safety and security in digital environments and proposed appropriate preventive measures; shared international experience in building safe and gender-responsive working environments in armed forces; and discussed solutions to strengthen women’s meaningful participation, leadership, and contributions in peacekeeping, international cooperation, and responses to non-traditional challenges.
The workshop contributes to strengthened cooperation between MOND, UN Women, Canada and international partners, and supports upcoming priorities, including the development of MOND 2026-2030 Action Plan on Women’s Advancement, Gender Equality and WPS.
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| Delegates attending the workshop. (Source: UN Women) |
