Young people take part in a dance performance at the launch of the gender equality project. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

HÀ NỘI — As many as three million people living in Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng and HCM City, equal to 17 per cent of the total population of the three biggest cities in Việt Nam, will benefit from a project which started on Friday in Hà Nội.

The project aims to encourage young people to participate in changing gender stereotypes and promoting gender equality in Việt Nam. It is scheduled to last until March 2024.

The project is a joint scheme by the European Union (EU) Delegation, Oxfam in Việt Nam and the Consultative Institute for Socio-Economic Development of Rural and Mountainous Areas (CISDOMA).

Under the project, students will help create change in awareness and action on gender equality through social media campaigns.

Speaking at a conference to launch the project, Nguyễn Thị Cúc Phương, deputy principal of the Hà Nội University, said gender equality was an important goal in the 21st century.

The role of the press, media and advertising in the effort to shorten the gender gap towards gender equality was extremely important, she said.

The National Strategy on Gender Equality 2011-2020 aimed to cut cultural and information products bearing gender bias by 60 per cent in 2015 and by 80 per cent this year. Young people and students can become pioneers in changing gender stereotypes.

"We fully believe that our organisations and universities will work closely for the common goal, which is to successfully implement the project to address gender bias and promote gender equality in Việt Nam," said Phương.

Lê Văn Thanh, a representative of the EU delegation, said that in the delegation’s research on employment, women with children faced many difficulties in applying for jobs.

When considering applications, the chances of women with children being accepted are lower than for other candidates. They are estimated to have lost more than 90 per cent of job opportunities.

"Việt Nam is a Southeast Asian country with advantages such as cohesion, diligence and creativity, but still has the thought of respecting men and disrespecting women. Men are important factors in changing gender stereotypes. Women can completely succeed in areas where there were only men, and men can do well in women’s work," Thanh said.

Attending the launching ceremony, director Nguyễn Hoàng Điệp said: “Gender equality is to bring men and women closer together." — VNS