HÀ NỘI — One hundred girls will gather in Hà Nội for dialogue with leaders of the National Assembly, Government and State agencies from October 5 to 7.

The event is held under the framework of the International Day of the Girl Child (October 11) declared by the United Nations from 2012. For the first time, four agencies – the NA Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children; the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs; the HCM Communist Youth Union and Plan International Vietnam—have joined hands to implement these activities. 

During the three-day event, 100 girls from all localities in the country, of which half belong to ethnic minority groups, will have opportunities to speak up on the two major topics of "Safety for Girls in the Cities" and "Ending Child Marriage." Based on the status quo in their localities, these girls are expected to raise recommendations on the process of making and implementing policies to ensure the best rights and benefits for their development on the 2018 National Forum of Girl Children on October 7.

Speaking at the press conference on Tuesday, Ngô Thị Minh, deputy head of the committee, stressed the significance of the event in accelerating children’s participation in addressing social issues. 

"Meeting and listening from young people, especially children, is one of our priorities. Through the event, we want to put children at the centre of the decision-making process," said Minh.

“Ending child marriage and safety for girls in the cities are the two particular topics on which Plan International Vietnam has been working closely with the Government counterparts for many years. This is a great opportunity on the International Day of the Girl Child for them to speak to the Government about the issues that they face today,” added Plan International Vietnam Country Director Sharon Kane.

Last year, 85 girls in seven northern and central provinces took over leading positions in their communes under Plan’s Empowering Girl Children event with the participation of 15,000 children and local residents. — VNS