1. Renewing awareness surrounding women’s works

Under the comprehensive renovation guidelines, many of the Party’s policies concerning mass mobilization, particularly women and female cadres mobilization, have been established to facilitate, develop, and promote gender equality.

The Party Central Committee’s Resolution 8B-NQ/TW (March 27, 1990) On renewing the Party’s mass mobilization works, directed to strengthen the Party’s relationship with the people. It also defined mass mobilization as a responsibility of the entire political system.

Then, in the Party Political Bureau’s Resolution 04-NQ/TW (July 12, 1993) On renewing and strengthening the mobilization of women in the new national situation, the Party affirmed that “The cause of women’s liberation and the women’s works are the responsibility of the Party, State, mass organizations, greater society, and each family. The liberation of women must be institutionalized and solidified within the legal system and regime, and Party and State policies”⁽¹⁾. Equity work is intended to “build up the family to be wealthy, equal, progressive and happy; and to build Vietnamese women into citizens who are healthy, intellectual, skilled, active, prosperous, and creative, and who lead kind-hearted and rich cultural lifestyles”⁽²⁾.

In order to continue promoting success in the field, the Politburo’s Resolution 11-NQ/TW (April 27, 2007) On women in the period of accelerating industrialization and modernization affirmed, “it is necessary to attend to women so that they can enjoy progress in all aspects. Their legitimate rights and benefits should be attended to so that women can enjoy the best conditions to fulfill their roles of good citizens, laborers, mothers, and early teachers to their children; and promoting the roles and the great potential of women in the industrialization, modernization, construction, and defense of the country. Enhancing women’s status and implementing gender equality across all political, economic, cultural, and social realms is one of the country’s most important tasks and the goal of Vietnam’s revolution in the new era”⁽³⁾.

The resolution also stated, “The work on women is the responsibility of the whole political system, the society, and each family. In that regard, Party and State organs at all levels have key responsibilities in empowering women, with the Vietnamese Women’s Union working as the nucleus”⁽⁴⁾. This is intended to “benefit each target group, area, and region, and to motivate the ownership, potential, creativity, and contribution of women across classes to build national unity and strength”⁽⁵⁾. On that basis, the Party has oriented awareness around women and gender equity in which to build, perfect, and implement laws and policy. This will facilitate women’s advancement and build Vietnamese women into healthy, intellectual, and well-rounded individuals. This will create a team of highly-skilled female scientists, leaders, and managers helping to meet the demands of the acceleration of industrialization and modernization.

From being “the organization representing women’s interests and a centre for uniting Vietnamese women”⁽⁶⁾, the Women’s Union is promoted to be the nucleus of women’s works. Together with solutions for “renewing the contents, organizations, and methods of the Vietnam Women’s Union” (1993)⁽⁷⁾, the Party determined a task of “building and consolidating the Vietnam Women’s Union to be strong and fully promote their key roles in the work of mobilizing women” (2007)⁽⁸⁾.

The 12^th National Party Congress (2016) continued to affirm Party’s viewpoints and guidelines on women’s works. Its tenets include: “to enhance women’s capacity and their material and spiritual lives; to effectively implement gender equity and facilitate women to develop their talents; to study, supplement, and perfect laws and policies concerning female workers, creating conditions and opportunities allowing them to work and benefit their families and society; and to resolutely fight social evils and strictly deal with violence, trafficking, and violations of women’s dignity”.

Change can only come through changing the perspectives surrounding women, and coming to see them not as objects, but as subjects of the mobilization. This is an important move in renewing mass mobilization and promoting activeness and positivity. 

2. Law and policies concerning women

The Party has gradually been expanding its view of women and perfecting its policies and laws. Regulations ensure citizens’ equal rights to participate, contribute and enjoy results in political, civil, economic, and cultural fields. Legislation is concerned with gender equality in a number of areas, with particular focus on labour, education, and economics as a motivation for solving social problems and ensuring substantive equality. Laws and policies have been increasingly perfected. The Labour Code (2002) amends and supplements the policies related to female employees, including social insurance, salary, labour protection, and vocational training. The Law on Gender Equality (2007)⁽⁹⁾manifests Vietnam’s commitment to implementing the Beijing Platform for Action (1995), which emphasized gender equality, peace, and development. Vietnam has codified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Prime Minister approved the National Strategy on gender equality for the period 2011-2020. The United Nations’ third goal on gender equality within the United Nations Millenium Development Goals has been solidified.

In addition to policies and laws within the most fundamental areas, Vietnam is also concerned with specific issues such as the promulgation of the Ordinance on prostitution prevention and control (2003); The Program of Action on preventing the trafficking of women and children; and the expansion of victim support. The National Assembly regularly supervises the works on gender equality, and the Government issues annual reports on the implementation of laws on gender equality.

Vietnam has participated in many international conventions, such as the Convention on Eliminating all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW, 1981). Vietnam has also signed legal judicial assistance treaties with 12 countries including Laos, China, and Cambodia; and joined international agreements and declarations on the prevention of human trafficking. Vietnam is an active member of multilateral forums including the Asia-Pacific Consultative Process; the Bali Process on the prevention of human trafficking and related transnational crimes; and the ASEAN Declaration against human trafficking.

Vietnam’s Party and State have put forth efforts to form and enforce guidelines - policies have brought about strong change in ensuring gender equality; the right to work and to be paid; the right to ownership and inheritance; and the right to choose a matrimonial partner and to divorce.

Throughout this process, the Vietnamese Women’s Union has mobilized women to exercise their civil rights and duties and also to facilitate and promote their roles and abilities. This mobilization expands societal gender equality and promotes women’s roles in their families. These activities have contributed to social progress.

Playing a pioneering and nucleus role in gender equality activities, the Women’s Union collects expectations and recommendations from women on policies that apply to them. This combines advocacy and care, combining the dissemination of legal knowledge with the enhancement of women’s sense of responsibility. Most women are self-conscious of their own responsibilities and can deal with social and familial work harmoniously.

3. Important achievements in women’s work

Social awareness of gender equality has increased. Women have gained more respect and status in society and in the family. The United Nations has evaluated Vietnam’s gender equality and declared it a good example in the implementation of the Millenium Development Goals.

In politics, women have actively contributed to the development and implementation of laws and policies. They appoint their preferred representatives to elected bodies, state management agencies, and socio-political organizations. The number of female leaders has increased, particularly in high positions. They have become members of the Politburo, Party Central Committee Secretaries, State Vice Presidents, National Assembly Chairwomen, ministers and deputy ministers within all levels of authority. Vietnam has the highest proportion of female National Assembly deputies in the Asia-Pacific region.

The proportion of women taking part in all levels of the Party in 2015-2020 has increased compared to 2010-2015. Female Party committee participants account for 19.69% at the commune level (a 1.59% increase) and 14.3% at a district level (a 0.3% increase). At the provincial level, female participants in Party committees account for 13.3% (an increase of 1.9%). Female members of Standing Party committees account for 10.75%. Three out of 63 provinces and cities have female secretaries of Party committees, accounting for 4.76%; and 17 deputy secretaries are female, accounting for 10.9%. At the central level, there are three female members of the Politburo, accounting for 15.7%, and 20 out of 200 Party committee members are female, occupying 10%⁽¹⁰⁾.

The central level of the Government has a female Vice State President, and two out of 22 ministers (9%), 13 deputy ministers are female (9%, an increase of 3.6% compared to the previous Legislature). Female directors and deputy directors of ministries and ministerial-level agencies account for 9.9% and 20.7% respectively.

At the provincial level, one out of 63 chairpersons of the People’s Councils is female (1.6%); female deputy chairpersons of People’s Councils account for 10.4%; and women make up 10.5% of provincial level government branch heads.

At the district level, female chairpersons of People’s Councils account for 3.6% (a decrease of 1.65% compared to the previous tenure); female deputy chairpersons occupy 14.5% (a 6% increase compared to the previous tenure); and female heads of branches occupy 13.9%.

At the commune level, female chairpersons and vice chairpersons of People’s Councils account for 3.42% and 8.8% of their respective totals⁽¹¹⁾.

In elected bodies, the proportion of female deputies of the National Assembly 13^th Legislature is 24.2% (a decrease of 1.36% compared to 12^th Legislature); female members of People’s Councils at provincial, district and commune levels account for 25.17%, 24.62%, and 21.71% respectively⁽¹²⁾. Notably, at the 11^th session of the 13^th National Assembly on March 31, 2016, for the first time in history the National Assembly had a female Chairperson - Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, elected with a vote of 95.5%. It was a milestone in Vietnamese women’s progress when a woman was elected to one of the four top positions in the political system.

In the fields of economics and labour, women are getting involved in a range of occupations and professions, making great contributions to production and socio-economic development. A large number of women are holding key positions in enterprise management. Women’s economic rights have been enhanced by the implementation of a law stipulating that women’s names - along with men’s - are to be written on land, housing and property rights certificates. Women’s access to credit has also been improved.

Women have increasingly engaged in non-agricultural sector labour as well, especially in economic branches and fields with high technical requirements. Women have made positive changes in these fields. The female paid employees within the labour distribution structure has sharply increased (accounted for 40%)⁽¹³⁾.

In the science and technology fields, female intellectual personnel have grown in both quantity and quality. Many studies conducted by female scientists have received the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations’ VIFOTEC award or certificates of creative labour from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour and the Vietnam Women’s Union. Noticeably, there are reserved awards for female intellectuals such as the Vietnam Women’s Award and the Kovalevskaia Award. Many female scientists have actively established occupation associations, research and consult centres to promote their intelligence and talents, contributing to national development.

In the educational field, women across different regions have actively participated in studying a range of topics to enhance their capacities. Many also take care of their children’s studies, contributing to positive changes in national education. Women have made important contributions to the overall construction and development of the Vietnamese people.

By the year 2011, women’s literacy had reached 92%. 80% of school-age girls in remote and ethnic minority areas were attending primary and secondary school. Women comprise over 50% of university and college students; 61.6% of top-ranking students in university entrance and graduation exams were female ones. Intellectual female personnel increased in both quantity and quality, and also entered their fields at a younger age. 

In 2007-2012, the proportion of female lecturers in the educational field increased steadily and outnumbered men. During the 2011-2012 school year, women were significantly involved in education, comprising 16.8% of associate professors, 25% of doctors, and 47.1% of masters⁽¹⁴⁾. At the university level, 47% of lecturers are female. In the science and technology fields, women make up 38.6% of associate professors, 30.9% of doctors, and 54.6% of masters⁽¹⁵⁾. 

Within their families, women have also inherited and promoted fine traditional values, playing a crucial part in building prosperous, equal, progressive, happy families and preventing social evils. The average life expectancy of women is normally four to five years longer than men - in 2011 it reached 73.2 years. Maternal mortality has dropped to 67 per 100,000 live births⁽¹⁶⁾.  

Women are highly aware of the benefits of building small strong families associated with a high quality of life. This includes exercising their rights and mobilizing their family members to exercise individual rights and responsibilities. Women tend to pay special attention to children and elderly people, and building culturally-rich families.

4. Some rising issues

Industrialization, modernization and international integration still pose limitations upon women, bringing up new issues and challenges.

Regarding employment and income opportunities, female employees in many enterprises and industrial zones have faced unstable jobs and unguaranteed working conditions. Salary, social insurance, or working protection policies have yet to be fully implemented. An increasing number of rural unemployed women are spontaneously migrating to urban areas. Mountainous, rural, and remote areas have high proportions of poor women. They are bound by backward traditions and customs. There are many elderly women, single women, and women with disabilities in difficult circumstances that need attention.

Social realities are creating many problems directly related to women. Women face several difficulties and challenges when exercising their roles as mothers and early teachers to their children, as Vietnamese families and society have undergone many changes recently. Some fine traditional values have been lost to the desire for a pragmatic lifestyle. Domestic violence, social evils, human trafficking, and marrying foreigners for profit have increased and evolved.

According to Vietnam’s 2014 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS)⁽¹⁷⁾, which studied women and children, the proportion of married women aged 15-19 was 10.3%, an 8% increase compared to MICS 2011. Due to limited education and poor economic conditions, 26% of women living in poor conditions married early, in comparison to only 2% from well-to-do households. Nearly 30% of ethnic women aged 15-19 were married. Furthermore, more than 56% of females aged 15–49 and 50% aged 15-24 did not have comprehensive understanding about HIV/AIDS.

In women’s works, the orientation of guidelines, policies, and methods mobilizing women is not specific and is inappropriate for different groups in different region and conditions. Mobilizing women within different economic sectors, ethnic minority groups, religions, and intellectual levels has not been appropriately researched. Policies on female cadres are also inadequate.

Women’s Unions in many regions are fragmented, shallow, and not fully integrated. Their must comprehensively facilitate women toward playing their role of “subjects” via empowerment and by offering resources that allow women to solve their own problems beside the supports of the State and the society.

Realities of women’s works have given rise to certain issues that must be focused on. These include the study and promulgation of the Party Central Committee’s resolution on women and the women’s works to create stronger changes in the awareness and action of the entire Party and society. This contributes to solving issues that have arisen during nearly ten years of implementing Resolution 11-NQ/TW (2007), including solving issues in women’s works after 30 years of renovation to meet requirements and attach importance to women and women’s works.

The Government must review, amend, and supplement legal documents related to women and women’s works. This includes strictly implementing regulations integrating gender equality into the drafting of legal documents as prescribed in the Law on the Promulgation of Legal Documents and the Law on Gender Equality. Amend and supplement the Law on Gender Equality to clearly define the aspects related to women - especially motherhood - as they relate to the goal of gender equality. Amend the regulations on the retirement ages of cadres, civil servants, employees, and workers to suit their practical situations. Retirement age is related closely and organically to other policies, such as those addressing the age of promotion and appointment, age of training, and pension.

Amend, supplement, or promulgate new policies that pay more attention to the family. Clause 3, Article 60 of the 2013 Constitution states, “create an environment for building prosperous, progressive, and happy Vietnamese families, and developing Vietnamese people with good health, strong cultural identity, patriotism, a spirit of solidarity, a sense of mastery, and civil responsibility”. These can be applied through appropriate policies in which special attention is paid to the women’s role as mother with a profound impact on the quality of the country’s human resources.

Party committees and authorities must continue to strengthen and raise awareness about the capabilities of women; about the Party guidelines and State policies concerning women, about gender equity, marriage, and family matters.

Study to amend and supplement regulations clearly stipulating the responsibilities of Party committees, other agencies and organizations. This should particularly focus on those executing the Party’s viewpoints and guidelines, and the State’s laws and policies concerning women - including regulations related to female managers and leaders.

The Women’s Union needs to enhance its roles and responsibilities in advising and implementing solutions enhancing women’s awareness on gender equality. Consult and propose guidelines and policies related to female cadres. Actively advise and introduce resources for female staff members. Communication on traditional Vietnamese values and examples of female role models should be promoted and all forms of discrimination against women must be condemned.

Women and female cadres should take advantage of their individual capabilities; get rid of inferiority complexes and self-deprecation; enhance their social responsibility; support, mentor, and encourage the younger generation; and defend their views and ideas on issues concerning their female cadres and women overall.

____________________

(1), (2), (6), (7) Resolution 04-NQ/TW (July 12, 1993) of the Politburo.

(3), (4), (5), (8) Resolution 11-NQ/TW (April 27, 2007) of the Politburo on “The women’s works in the period of industrialization and modernization.”

(9) The law 73/2006/QH11 (July 1, 2007) of the National Assembly: The Law on Gender Equality.

(10) Report 08/BC-UBQG (February 3, 2016) of National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam on the 2015 work results and 2016 directions and tasks, pp. 11-12.

(11) Promoting the capability and intelligence of female cadre personnel, Journal of  Party Building, Issue 10, 2013.

 (12) Opening speech by Pham Thi Hai Chuyen - Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs at the seminar “The role of media in strengthening women’s participation in the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels” organized by National Committee for Gender Equality in cooperation with UNDP in Hanoi on February 25, 2016.

(13) Report 1346/BC-UBXH12 (May 11, 2009) of the National Assembly’s Committee on Social Affairs on the supervision of the gender equality progress and the implementation of the Law on Gender Equality.

(14), (15) Government 2013 Report on the implementation of the National Strategy on Gender Equality.

(16) Government 2011 Report on the implementation of the National Strategy on Gender Equality.

(17) http://www.unicef.org.

Assoc. Prof., Dr. Trinh Thi Hong Hanh

Institute of Party History,

Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics