Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng and National Assembly President Trần Thanh Mẫn presents flowers to female deputies of the 16th NA and female officials of the National Assembly Office in Hà Nội on Monday in celebration of Việt Nam's Women Day. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng and National Assembly (NA) President Trần Thanh Mẫn, both Politburo members, met female deputies of the 16th NA and female department-level officials of the NA Office in Hà Nội on Monday to mark the 96th founding anniversary of the Việt Nam Women’s Union and Vietnamese Women’s Day (October 20).

Also attending were Politburo members Bùi Thị Minh Hoài, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee; Standing Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Gia Túc; and Standing NA Vice President Đỗ Văn Chiến. They were joined by Secretaries of the Party Central Committee Võ Thị Ánh Xuân, State Vice President, and Phạm Thị Thanh Trà, Deputy Prime Minister; and Party Central Committee member Nguyễn Thị Thanh, NA Vice President and head of the 16th NA’s Women Deputies Group.

On behalf of the Government and the NA Standing Committee, Mẫn extended warm greetings and best wishes to all female lawmakers and women officials of the NA Office. He also passed on greetings and wishes for good health from Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm.

He highlighted the significant contributions Vietnamese women have made throughout the nation’s history of building and defending the country, as well as the important role generations of female deputies have played in the legislature’s development.

The 16th NA has 150 female deputies, around 30 per cent of its total membership, reflecting Việt Nam’s strong commitment to gender equality and women’s advancement, he said.

The top legislator noted that the second session of the 16th NA faces new and demanding requirements as the legislature shifts its law-making approach from “management” to “facilitating development”. The aim is to mobilise resources, remove bottlenecks and create conditions for the country to enter a new era of development. This requires lawmakers and NA officials to show intellectual capacity, dedication and a strong sense of responsibility, he said.

Praising the contributions of female deputies and officials, Mẫn called on them to keep bringing their expertise, creativity and commitment to their work. He urged them to provide in-depth analysis and constructive scrutiny of draft laws, particularly policies on social welfare, education, healthcare, labour, employment, and the protection of women’s and children’s rights.

He also encouraged them to act as a strong bridge between voters and the legislature, ensuring that people’s concerns and aspirations – especially those of residents in remote, border and island areas and ethnic minority communities – are reflected in parliamentary decisions.

Stressing the need to stay confident, resilient and innovative, and to keep improving their professional knowledge and legal expertise, he called on female lawmakers and officials to carry out the 10 key orientations and strategic breakthrough tasks for the Vietnamese women’s movement for 2025-35, with a vision to 2045, set out by General Secretary and President Tô Lâm at the Việt Nam Women’s Union’s 5th Patriotic Emulation Congress.

The Government and the NA Standing Committee will continue to create favourable conditions for female deputies and officials to fulfil their responsibilities and make the most of their abilities, he affirmed.

At the meeting, female lawmakers said they were honoured and proud to contribute to law-making, supervision and decisions on major national issues, while recognising their responsibility to the Party, the State, voters and the people.

They pledged to keep improving their capabilities, stay close to the public, listen to voters and accurately reflect their aspirations, particularly those of women and girls, while helping to shape practical and humane policies that promote equality and social progress. — VNA/VNS