NEW YORK — Việt Nam had made progress in ensuring gender equality, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Đào Ngọc Dung said on the sidelines of the 63rd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which is taking place in New York from March 11-22.

Việt Nam had seen an increasing number of women participating in politics at all levels, he told Vietnam News Agency correspondents on the sidelines of the event.

It also ranked second in Southeast Asia for the rate of women owning enterprises or holding leading positions in major groups, only after the Philippines, according to Dung.

Dung said that after Việt Nam chose “Safety Year for Women and Children” as the theme for 2019, the country would carry out numerous measures to aid women, with a focus on development goals.

It would step up poverty reduction, especially for ethnic minority groups, to develop and ensure all women enjoy social welfare, he said. Laws would be completed to handle violence against women and trafficking, he added.

Việt Nam and international organisations had co-operated effectively on the issue, and partners of Việt Nam had praised the country’s efforts in ensuring gender equality, according to Dung.

Dung on Tuesday delivered a speech on Việt Nam’s achievements in ensuring social welfare and made proposals to promote social welfare and empowerment for women and narrowing the gender gap.

The largest UN gathering on gender equality and women’s rights was attended by more than 100 ministers, several vice presidents and deputy prime ministers and representatives from different non-governmental organisations and UN offices.

Discussions focused on social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, cited the fact that 740 million women were working with little or no social protection and access to public services, and up to 131 million girls had no chance to go to school.

In addition, women only enjoy three-quarters of the rights men did, and nearly 830 women died daily due to preventable reasons related to childbirth, she stated.

The UN official also pointed to the silver lining in gender equality and women’s rights, including 274 laws and regulations in support of gender equality approved in 131 countries over the past decade, 80 per cent of women in low-income and middle-income countries using mobile phones, and 48 per cent of women gaining access to the internet on mobile phones. — VNS