Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân lauded the Eurasian Women's Forum’s contributions to connecting and empowering women in her speech at the first plenary session of the ongoing 3rd Eurasian Women's Forum on Wednesday.

The forum, themed “Women: A Global Mission in a New Reality”, takes place virtually from October 13 to 15, gathering participants from more than 100 countries and international organisations.

Praising the theme, Xuân said the forum creates conditions to discuss opportunities and challenges that globalisation, the 4th industrial revolution, and the COVID-19 pandemic are generating for the world, as well as for women.

The Vice President spoke about Việt Nam’s experience and achievements in gender equality promotion across all social aspects, saying that the proportion of female National Assembly deputies, and key female leaders at ministries and ministerial-level agencies, stand at more than 30 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively.

She said Việt Nam has also launched many initiatives to enhance the role of women as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term, the ASEAN Chair in 2020, and the President of the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

She called on countries to work together to solve urgent issues involving women such as mitigation of impacts of COVID-19, climate change, and conflict and violence.

The role of women in socio-economic recovery and development should be promoted, Xuân said, adding that coordination should be strengthened to boost the making and effective implementation of policies and laws for the comprehensive development of women.

The Vietnamese delegation is expected to attend and deliver speeches at a number of thematic sessions at the forum. — VNS