Strategy for advancement of women in Vietnam
The National Strategy for the Advancement of Women to 2010 was announced on February 1, by the National Committee for Advancement of Women (NCAW).
The strategy aims to improve the material and spiritual lives of women, and creates good conditions to effectively implement fundamental rights and promote the role, of women in political, economic, cultural and social fields.
The strategy points out detailed goals for two periods, from now to 2005 and from 2005 through 2010, which include reducing the unemployment rate of women in urban areas to below 5%, and increasing working time of women in rural areas to 80%.
By 2005, 80% of poor households headed by women will be provided with loans from poverty reduction programmes and women will account for 50% of total borrowers. Forty per cent of female workers will be trained and all illiterate women under-40 will be provided with literacy classes.
The rate of infant mortality will be seven per 1,000 and 95% of women will be provided with medical services. The rate of women working in provincial/city people's councils will be raised to 28% in the 2004-2009 term and to 30% in the next term.
The implementation of the strategy will be closely combined with the implementation of other strategies, national programmes and Vietnam's regional and international commitments on gender equality as well as the implementation of the United Nations' Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Women account for 50.8% of the Vietnamese population and 50.6% of the labour force. To achieve gender equality, the Vietnamese government has institutionalised legal systems and policies to ensure women's interests in all fields. The government ratified the CEDAW in 1980, passed the Global Platform of Action in 1995.
Vietnam generates permanent jobs for nearly 19 million women, accounting for 48% of the total work force in all economic sectors. Ninety-six per cent of women received help in child birth. Women made up 26.22% of deputies to the 10th National Assembly, ranking first in Asia and second in the Asia-Pacific region.
However, the rate of women, who are unemployed, under employed or laid-off is still high. The higher the education level is, the lower the rate of women is found. In the 15-35 age group, the rate of illiteracy among women is double that of men. The situation is especially bad in remote communes and areas inhabited by ethnic minority people.
The burden of household chores made women, particularly those in rural areas, suffer a loss in material, spiritual and physical strength, preventing them from participating social activities. They are also vulnerable to social evils and domestic violence. (VNA)
