United Nations in Viet Nam

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth's environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Viet Nam.

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07 September 2022

Building a campus without violence in Viet Nam

Ha Noi - More than half of female students at three leading Vietnamese universities, and almost a third of lecturers, has experienced at least one form of sexual harassment in and around campus over the past academic year, most commonly verbal sexual harassment. The figures of 51.8 percent and 30.2 percent, respectively, were findings from a campus climate survey conducted in February with support from UN Women in Viet Nam, and released in June this year. The responses from 1,809 students and 350 staff and lecturers in universities in Ha Noi, Thai Nguyen and Thanh Hoa province, demonstrate the extent and impacts of sexual harassment in the higher education sector. UN Women funded the survey under the Safe Campus initiative, a regional project to eliminate violence against women. “I’ve received many comments on my appearance and in many cases, I feel uncomfortable and anxious. Before I didn’t know that’s a form of sexual harassment.” said My Duyen, 19, a female student at Hong Duc University. Though stressing that the university is very safe, My Duyen still wishes the university could invest more in security cameras and lighting systems. “If I must go to the library in the evening, I will go with a group of friends,” she said. With a campus of 480,000 square metres and 10,000 students, Hong Duc is one of the largest universities in Thanh Hoa, a province in the Northern Central Region of Viet Nam. It has few cameras and only one psychological counselling room, with four lecturers responsible for the counselling service. The survey in February also explored students’ attitudes and knowledge about sexual harassment, reporting processes and how to seek help, establishing a benchmark against which universities can measure their progress in the future. According to the survey results, 72.2 percent of respondents did not know about safe shelters and hotlines in the country, and 51.2 percent of them did not know about psychological counselling rooms in their universities. To raise awareness of students about gender-based violence, the three universities, with support from UN Women, implemented a series of communications activities called Orange Your Campus, Confession Box and You Are Not Alone in December 2021 and early 2022. The activities aimed to provide knowledge on gender-based violence and information on available services for survivors. The campaigns received huge attention from students and lecturers on social media with an estimated 2 million views and shares within only three months. UN Women also supported the three universities' upgrade of the psychological services facilities to better support student survivors of gender-based violence. The Confession Box activities received more than 215 letters from students in Hong Duc University sharing their experiences and stories about gender-based violence. “I was very surprised by the big number of letters which were sent to our counselling room in December 2021, said Hoai Thu, 42, a psychological lecturer at Hong Duc University. “Through the Orange The Campus communications activities, I believe students have learned more about gender-based violence. Some of them become more open to share their stories and seek help.” Le Thi Hang, Deputy Director of the Department of Political Work, Students, Ministry of Education and Training, highly appreciated the support of UN Women through the project to spread the message of gender equality, ending all forms of violence against female students and staff in universities. “The data obtained from this project will be a valuable basis for educational administrators, policymakers, the Ministry of Education and Training and other agencies to issue regulations and policies, and to develop practical and effective tooks to ensure a safe and non-violent school environment for students,” she said. To continue with the achievements of the safe campus initiative, UN Women Viet Nam will expand its supports to Ministry of Education and Training and more universities in Viet Nam through its ending violence against women and girls programme to ensure campus safe for all students and staff.

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Participants at the launching workshop in February 2022.

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18 August 2022

Successful first pilot export of mango to Australia using SOPs: Confidently sailing the sea

Exporting fresh fruits from Viet Nam to high-value markets is the target for many exporters to increase the economic value of these products. In Australia, the demand for a mango when its mango season has far passed offers many exporting opportunities for countries with counter-seasonal production to this country. Exporting mangoes from Vietnam, however; has been either expensive when using air shipment or having preservation issues to stand the long duration of sea freight. Fresh mangoes used to be preserved for up to only 30 days with traditional preservation methods. A recent successful pilot demonstration supported by the Global Quality and Standards Programme (GQSP) Vietnam using Standard Operating Procedures - SOPs combined with hot water and post-harvest fungicide treatment has opened up new opportunities for mango producers and exporters in Vietnam. The preservation duration has increased from 30 days to a maximum of 40 days, allowing enough time for sea freight and distribution of the fruits through wholesale markets and retail stores. For this consignment from Vina T&T Company, all of the fruit was decapped using the SOP methods. Hot water and post-harvest fungicide treatment were used by the exporter under the technical advice of UNIDO, following SOP’s cooling practice. Despite the delay in the arrival, there were no rots recorded on any of the audited fruits. The color and texture of the fruits were also preserved. Additionally, the mangoes had the incidence of sap burn at 3.3%, which is way below the common level of 30% of traditional practice export consignments. “The consignment was successful with no disease coming across. This is a wonderful result. Although it had a chilling issue, we will be able to solve this in upcoming shipments by looking back at the system. Colleagues from the importing company in Australia are happy with it.” – said Peter Johnson, the UNIDO value chain technical expert working with Vina T&T for the demonstration. GQSP Vietnam, funded by Switzerland through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), in collaboration with the Sub-Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Post-harvest Technology (SIAEP) of Vietnam, has developed six SOPs based on good practices, addressing key areas and impediments within the existing mango export chains. With international and Vietnamese experts working closely with mango value chain actors, the SOPs development process also contributes to capacity building for the local institutions and agencies. In the upcoming time, the project will continue to replicate the success of this demonstration to other mango exporters, developing technical and business skills needed for SMEs to meet the higher compliance requirements of high-value markets like Australia.

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Harvesting mangoes in one of GQSP-supported areas in Dong Thap province

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18 August 2022

A thought-provoking field visit to communities affected by climate change in Central Viet Nam

This year, the staff retreat of UN Women Viet Nam included a visit to communities affected by climate change. The aim of this important visit was to sensitize the whole team about the realities and needs of the women and girls that we serve, and reflect together about how UN Women Viet Nam can best support them through our triple mandate. The team went to visit a costal commune in Huong Tra district, Thua Thien Hue province, which is frequently hit by sea-level rise and flooding. Currently, due to COVID-19, many women are unemployed and doing agricultural work is their main source of livelihood. “Because of gender inequality, women and girls are more at risk,” said Tran Thi Thuy Anh, UN Women programme analyst on gender and disaster risk reduction in a briefing session for all country office staff before the field visit. “They are under-represented in disaster risk reduction [DRR] strategies and lack access to DRR training and knowledge. They tend to be perceived as victims of climate change instead of agents of change for their own futures.” In Viet Nam, natural disasters are currently threatening the livelihoods and food security of millions of people. The country was ranked 16th most affected by climate change-related disasters between 1999 and 2018, according to the global Climate Risk Index 2020 for the countries. Viet Nam’s coastal, mountainous, and delta regions make the country especially vulnerable. Sea level rise, flooding, drought, and landslides are causing increasing damage each year. As stated in the Strategic Note 2022-2026, UN Women Viet Nam will work towards the empowerment of women and girls, with a focus on promoting women’s leadership and resilience in high-risk areas. Moreover, in the next five years, the office will continue supporting national partners to mainstream gender in policies on climate change adaptation as well as in all aspects of DRR planning, implementation and monitoring. Making a visit to climate change affected communities was an essential part of the UN Women Viet Nam staff retreat this year. “Getting to know the real people affected by disasters increases our awareness and commitment to make a difference and become more effective in our work promoting gender-responsive climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Viet Nam in the next five years”, said Elisa Fernandez Saenz, UN Women Representative in Viet Nam. “Tropical storms are more destructive, frequent, and unpredictable in recent years. Last year, the storm destroyed my fish farm and due to COVID-19 social distancing and lockdown, I could not sell the remained fish, but we still had to repay the loan,” said Bang, a 55-year-old resident in Huong Tra district, Thua Thien Hue province. Bang and her husband used to have a high income in the commune from raising fish, she told the UN Women team. But she has lost 10 kilos since last year because of stress caused by an outstanding loan of more than 1 billion VND (USD 50,000). The storm and flood last year killed most of the fish and damaged the farms severely. Bang invested more to restore the fish farms but she could not sell the fish due to the COVID-19 lockdown and social distancing. Her family have learnt a significant lesson, which is that it is essential to use weather forecast information for decision making in her business. “Now, when I know a storm is coming, I inform the rest of the village, so we sell our fish before the storm hits. We help each other to reinforce our houses and fish farms to reduce the loss,” said Bang. As the impacts of climate change and disasters intensify, it is vital that people in vulnerable rural communities are included in the planning and implementation of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction activities. This is particularly the case for rural women, most of whom are engaged in smallholder farming and lack access to information, resources, and extension services, especially women from poor and ethnic minority households. “Through this field visit, I understand that rural women are truly experts in the field with their rich experience and aspirations,” Pham Thi Minh, a finance associate with UN Women Viet Nam, reflected about the visit. “Their voices should be heard so that when disasters occur, resilient communities are able to mitigate the effects and recover more quickly and sustainably,” said Duong Bao Long, the driver cum admin clerk of UN Women Viet Nam.

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16 August 2022

UN Women co-hosts hybrid Forum on developing Viet Nam’s plan on women and peacebuilding

Hanoi, Viet Nam – The Viet Nam Women’s Union discussed with Government, social organizations and international agencies today how it can help develop a national plan to achieve the United Nations goal of strengthening the role of women and women’s organizations and concerned stakeholders in promoting Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda. The Government has actively supported the 2000 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. However, further attention is needed to mechanisms to implement the WPS Agenda, including the establishment of a National Action Plan on WPS as many other countries in Asia and elsewhere have done. To promote the understanding of and implementation of the WPS Agenda in Vietnam, UN Women and the Viet Nam Women’s Union, a socio-political organization, organized today’s Forum in Hanoi. The more than 200 participants also included representatives of Vietnamese businesses and social organizations as well as United Nations agencies, international organizations, and embassies. The Forum discussed how the country can promote women’s involvement in United Nations peacekeeping operations, stemming domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other fields. It highlighted the key ways in which the Viet Nam Women’s Union can help develop any national action plan and get the general public involved in the process. Representatives from the Philippines and the European Union detailed how those countries developed and implemented such plans. “By having the forums like this one today, I believe that the progress to discuss the development of a NAP (national action plan) for Viet Nam shall proceed more comprehensively and inclusively. I recognize that the Viet Nam Women's Union is already ahead in defining its concrete roles to ensure that the NAP, if it is to be developed soon, is participatory, transparent, and accountable,” said Pauline Tamesis, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam. According to the Vietnam Women's Union, women are often among the most vulnerable in unstable environments and crisis situations. They, however, are also active agents for crisis prevention and management, and peace-making. The WPS Agenda becomes even more important and urgent currently. Also, the role of women's organizations like the Vietnam Women's Union is ever emphasized in the peace and security process in each country and on a global scale. This forum is even more meaningful in the context that the world is facing major security challenges, especially non-traditional security -- epidemics, natural disasters caused by climate change, cybercrime, etc. -- threatening to push back the sustainability of achieved development. Viet Nam presented UN Security Council Resolution 1889, adopted by the Security Council in October 2009 to strengthen the implementation and monitoring of Resolution 1325. And in December 2020, Viet Nam hosted an international conference on Strengthening Women’s Role in Building and Sustaining Peace: From Commitments to Results; that conference produced the Hanoi Commitment to Action. UN Women supported today’s conference as part of its project, Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace: Preventing Violence and Promoting Social Cohesion in ASEAN, which is funded by the Governments of Canada, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Viet Nam is a member.

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11 August 2022

Vietnamese Youth Organize Creative Projects to Advocate for a Safe and Equal Cyberspace

Ha Noi, Viet Nam — UN Women, in partnership with the Center for Sustainable Development Studies and CED Link, supported the efforts of 71 youth leaders, content creators and change-makers across Viet Nam to develop innovative social media projects aimed at strengthening positive digital engagement and at combating cyber harms. Within three months, the projects achieved incredible results, receiving a collective 4.9 million views, 19,100 comments and 4,382 shares across all major social media platforms commonly used in Viet Nam. In October 2021, 22-year-old content creator Ly Tu Nha and other youth leaders participated in a virtual training organized by UN Women, the Center for Sustainable Development Studies and CED Link in Viet Nam with support from the Government of the Republic of Korea. The training deepened young participants’ knowledge and understanding of gender equality, cybersecurity, and Viet Nam’s current social media environment. The training also increased the participants’ skills in mobilizing social media’s potential to engage other youth and Internet users in countering cyberharms while promoting gender equality. After the one-week training, Nha and her friends developed a social media project to combat online sexual violence and cyberbullying targeting adolescents, receiving technical support from UN Women. In November 2021 alone, their project “HOPE” had reached more than 300,000 people through the dissemination of videos, digital posters, factsheets and other media. Online violence against women and girls tends to be motivated by misogynistic and hateful sentiments. According to research conducted by the Vietnam Program for Internet & Society, 78 per cent of the 1,000 persons that were interviewed for their study reported that they have experienced or are aware of the situation of hate-speech across social networks in Viet Nam.[1] This is argued to be a potential long-term issue for Internet users, particularly women and girls, which has the potential to polarize and diminish social cohesion across societies. “I was a victim of online sexual harassment and body shaming several years ago. Therefore, I understand how it damages the survivors. Even if it's just words, it lasts forever,” said Nha in an interview with UN Women Viet Nam Country Office in December 2021. Viet Nam has one of the highest rates of Internet use in the Asia and the Pacific region. As of January 2021, the number of internet users reached 69 million people, which represents close to 72 percent of Viet Nam’s population.[2] With pandemic-related social distancing measures in place, people are staying home and spending more time on the Internet than ever before, making safety and security in cyberspace an urgent issue. Considering the rapid digitization of Southeast Asia, digital platforms are increasingly becoming new frontiers of conflict in the region.[3] “The spread of disinformation and hate speech against women and minority groups disrupt the social fabric of societies. We have also seen that there are many opportunities to counter violent practices and to promote civic engagement through positive digital engagement,” said Gaelle Demolis, Acting UN Women Representative in Viet Nam at the time of the interview. For persons with disabilities (PWD), the Internet and digital platforms are important tools for learning, research and self-development opportunities. These tools are valuable information resources and can contribute to bridging access gaps. However, they also carry risks for PWD, including disability hate speech, sexual violence and other cyberattacks and cyber-enabled crimes to which they are disproportionately exposed. Nguyen Manh Cuong, a 27-year-old businessman and chairperson of the Deaf People Club in Dak Lak, also participated in the training. Together with six other PWDs who joined the training in October 2021, Cuong led a campaign called “Speaking hands,” which included a series of video clips on Facebook. The campaign aimed to combat hate speech against PWDs and to guide his peers to protect themselves on digital platforms. “The training is super helpful. I will keep sharing the learned knowledge and skills with my friends in the club so that we can protect ourselves and be safer online. Deaf children will find it especially helpful to learn to avoid threats and the psychological shocks that I faced as a child,” said Cuong. About UN Women and Cybersecurity Since 2021, UN Women has been pioneering a new project on Women, Peace and Cybersecurity with the ambition to gain new insights on novel security threats that are promulgated through digital platforms and online engagement. There is a need to understand how digital platforms are increasingly used to drive conflict and incite violence, and to strengthen the capacities of women, men, girls, and boys to promote peace and positive and inclusive digital engagement. This training in Viet Nam is one of the first initiatives to strengthen the capacities of youth in Southeast Asia on gender-responsive cybersecurity. Similar activities have also been carried out in the Philippines. [1] HATE SPEECH AND SOLUTIONS TOWARDS A SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL NETWORK ENVIRONMENT [2] Internet usage in Vietnam - statistics & facts [3] Violent Conflict, Tech Companies, and Social Media in Southeast Asia

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Press Release

19 September 2022

The UN in Viet Nam celebrates the diversity, freedom and rights of all LGBTIQ+ persons at Hanoi Pride 2022

Ha Noi (Viet Nam), 19 September 2022 – The United Nations (UN) in Viet Nam celebrates the diversity, freedom and rights of all LGBTIQ+ persons at Hanoi Pride 2022. We stand in solidarity with the LGBTIQ+ community in Viet Nam, and express support for local community-based organisations working to change social norms and promote more inclusive societies that respect and promote the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons. We welcome the recent progress in Viet Nam in protecting the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons. The Official Dispatch No. 4132/BYT-PC dated 3rd August 2022, issued by the Ministry of Health, emphasised that diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression are not medical conditions, and called for reform of medical examination and treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, in line with global health standards. We commend this tremendous achievement and major step forward in boosting the protection of LGBTIQ+ persons’ fundamental rights and health in Viet Nam. Despite the positive change, LGBTIQ+ persons and communities in Viet Nam face discrimination and deprivation of their fundamental rights based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. In their day-to-day lives, people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or gender non-conforming face obstacles in accessing education, healthcare services and employment opportunities, and are subject to violence and harassment in the most basic of daily activities, leaving them in pain and fear. Efforts to shift the attitudes, mindset and social perceptions concerning LGBTIQ+ persons must therefore continue. To do so requires greater collective action to promote and protect LGBTIQ+ rights in line with the international human rights standards and treaties that Viet Nam has ratified, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. All sectors of society – Government, civil society, private sector and the international community – have the responsibility to stand up for LGBTIQ+ rights and affirm the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights [1]. Hanoi Pride 2022 is an opportunity to unite with the LGBTIQ+ community in Viet Nam, embrace the differences in every individual, and remind LGBTIQ+ persons of our commitment to support them amid the ongoing challenges and struggle against injustice and intolerance. The UN is committed to continuing to support Viet Nam in building a tolerant, accepting and inclusive society where every person can be proud of who they are. [1] Article 1, Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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Press Release

07 September 2022

Achieving full gender equality is still centuries away, warns the UN in new report

[New York] — At the current rate of progress, it may take close to 300 years to achieve full gender equality, the Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): The Gender Snapshot 2022 shows. Global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, violent conflict, climate change, and the backlash against women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights are further exacerbating gender disparities. The new report, launched today by UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), highlights that, at the current pace of progress, SDG 5 – achieving gender equality - will not be met by 2030.

Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director, said: “This is a tipping point for women’s rights and gender equality as we approach the half-way mark to 2030. It is critical that we rally now to invest in women and girls to reclaim and accelerate progress. The data show undeniable regressions in their lives made worse by the global crises – in incomes, safety, education and health. The longer we take to reverse this trend, the more it will cost us all”.

“Cascading global crises are putting the achievement of the SDGs in jeopardy, with the world’s most vulnerable population groups disproportionately impacted, in particular women and girls. Gender equality is a foundation for achieving all SDGs and it should be at the heart of building back better,” said Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs of UN DESA.

Without swift action, legal systems that do not ban violence against women, do not protect women’s rights in marriage and family, for instance denying women their right to pass on their nationality to their children, or to inherit, do not provide them with equal pay and benefits at work, do not guarantee their equal rights to own and control land, may continue to exist for generations to come.

At the current rate of progress, the report estimates that it will take up to 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and remove discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and at least 40 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments. To eradicate child marriage by 2030, progress must be 17 times faster than progress of the last decade, with girls from the poorest rural households and in conflict-affected areas expected to suffer the most.

The report also points to a worrisome reversal on the reduction of poverty, and rising prices are likely to exacerbate this trend. By the end of 2022, around 383 million women and girls will live in extreme poverty (on less than 1.90 a day) compared to 368 million men and boys. Many more will have insufficient income to meet basic needs such as food, clothing and adequate shelter in most parts of the world. If current trends continue, in sub-Saharan Africa, more women and girls will live in extreme poverty by 2030 than today.

The invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war there is further worsening food insecurity and hunger, especially among women and children, limiting supplies of wheat, fertilizer and fuel, and propelling inflation. In 2021, about 38 per cent of female-headed households in war-affected areas experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, compared to 20 per cent of male-headed households.

Further facts and figures highlighted in the report include: In 2020, school and preschool closures required 672 billion hours of additional unpaid childcare globally. Assuming the gender divide in care work remained the same as before the pandemic, women would have shouldered 512 billion of those hours.
Globally, women lost an estimated USD 800 billion in income in 2020 due to the pandemic, and despite a rebound, their participation in labour markets is projected to be lower in 2022 than it was pre-pandemic (50.8 per cent, compared to 51.8 per cent in 2019).
There are now more women and girls who are forcibly displaced than ever before: some 44 million women and girls by the end of 2021.
Today, over 1.2 billion women and girls of reproductive age (15-49) live in countries and areas with some restriction on access to safe abortion.
Ahead of the Transforming Education Summit taking place on the margins of the UN General Assembly, the report points out that achieving universal girls’ education, while not enough by itself, would improve such an outlook significantly. Each additional year of schooling can boost a girl’s earnings as an adult by up to 20 per cent with further impacts on poverty reduction, better maternal health, lower child mortality, greater HIV prevention and reduced violence against women.

The report showcases that cooperation, partnerships and investments in the gender equality agenda, including through increased global and national funding are essential to correct the course and place gender equality back on track. Follow the report launch at the UN daily noon briefing on September 7: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k17/k17hethnco

For more information on the report: https://data.unwomen.org/publications/progress-sustainable-development-goals-gender-snapshot-2022

For more information about SGD 5 on achieving gender equality:
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/in-focus/2022/08/in-focus-sustainable-development-goal-5

Media contacts:
Maria Sanchez (UN Women) media.team@unwomen.org
Francyne Harrigan (UN Department of Global Communications) harriganf@un.org
Masayoshi Suga (UN Department of Global Communications) sugam@un.org
Helen Rosengren ( UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs) rosengrenh@un.org

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Press Release

25 August 2022

Tea time with the Transgender community

The Dialogue convened more than 40 participants from the transgender community, transgender rights advocacy organizations in associations with concerned ministries, departments and agencies. This is a space for transgender people and their families to share experiences and difficulties in daily life. Meanwhile, priorities were raised from insiders' perspective, with a view to making contributions to the draft Gender Affirmation Law (GAL) in Viet Nam. As informed by the Ministry of Health, there are approximately 480,000 transgender people in Viet Nam [1]. Due to persistent stereotypes and biases in society, transgender people often face stigma and discrimination from society in various aspects, such as in performing medical procedures, administrative procedures or applying for jobs. This requires public awareness raising as well as practical legal frameworks to ensure the rights of transgender people in Viet Nam. On November 21, 2015, the National Assembly passed the Civil Code (amended) recognizing the right to gender affirmation. However, as there is no specific legal framework for gender affirmation, transgender people in Viet Nam still have to go overseas or go to unlawful health facilities in Vietnam to carry out medical interventions, thereby causing enormous health and life consequences for transgender people. After delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, at the end of June, the Ministry of Health reported to the Government on the applications for the draft GAL. If formulated and adopted or passed, the GAL will enable transgender men and women to legally transition in Viet Nam. In an effort to ensure the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of this law, the voice of the transgender community plays a vital role. The dialogue anticipates making contributions to bridging and to empowering the voice of the transgender community to get closer to the public and policymakers. The event also featured a special guest, Ms. Alba Rueda, Argentina's Special Envoy for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. With multiple years of experience in formulating and implementing the 2012 Gender Identity Law in Argentina - one of the most progressive laws in the world on transgender people’s rights, Ms. Alba brought new perspectives and viewpoints that require attention and prioritization to the draft GAL in Viet Nam. [1] In this writing, the term ‘transgender' is used to refer to any person whose gender identity differs from that person’s sex assigned at birth. A transgender person can identify themselves as a male, a female, a transgender male, a transgender female, can be a person of gender diversity or gender non-binary or as defined by other terms. Information about Ms. Alba Rueda Ms. Alba Rueda is currently Argentina's Special Envoy for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, cum the first Deputy Minister for National Diversity Policy at the time when the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity was established. During her tenure as Deputy Minister for Diversity Policy, she promoted policies on LGBTI+ inclusion and integration, as well as coordinated the activities to: increase access to health care services; eliminate violent acts in institutions and labour in the direction of diversification; and promote employment opportunities among the LGBTI+ community. She also proactively works in promoting and enforcing the Transgender Labour Quota Law (Decree 721/20 and Law 27,636). In addition, she has twelve-year experience working in the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. Here, she worked for the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) and the National Secretariat for Human Rights. Alba Rueda is known as a transgender activist who often combines academic knowledge with extensive experience in social activism. In addition, she is one of the founders of Mujeres Trans Argentina (MTA) and a member of Notitrans, the first transgender journal in the country.

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Press Release

17 August 2022

Strengthening Financial Resources to Advance Gender Equality in Viet Nam

This activity is jointly held by UN Women in collaboration with the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the LIGHT Institute for Development & Community Health (LIGHT Institute). It is part of the UN Joint Program on “Supporting Viet Nam towards the 2030 Integrated Finance Strategy for Accelerating the Achievement of the SDGs” led by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, with technical support from the United Nations agencies in Viet Nam. The Program is funded by the SDG Fund. Over the years, Viet Nam has obtained significant achievements in advancing gender equality and empowering women. However, one of the biggest challenges currently affecting the implementation of Viet Nam's gender equality commitments and SDGs has been the shortage of financial resources. “Against the backdrop where Viet Nam is a middle-income country, and a great number of donors have cut down on financial support for gender equality, it is extremely urgent to secure and mobilize domestic financial resources. Over the years, UN Women has advocated and introduced tools to incorporate gender equality issues into national planning and financial policies during the implementation of the SDGs to ensure that gender equality commitments will be realized,” said Ms. Elisa Fernandez Saenz, UN Women Country Representative in Viet Nam. Although the 2015 revised State Budget Law has demonstrated progressive changes when introducing the principle of promoting gender equality in state budget expenditure, so far, the implementation has faced numerous challenges. At the workshop, the participants discussed the role of various stakeholders, including the private sector, CSOs and raised the major difficulties in strengthening financial resources for gender equality in the country, such as the lack of planning and budgeting processes, shortage of tools and guidelines, limited understanding of gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) approach, the absence of sex-disaggregated data, and lack of tracking and labeling of expenditures aimed for gender equality in financial statements. The participants also discussed the roles of relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, CSOs, the private sector, etc., meanwhile putting forward initiatives and solutions to increase financing for gender equality. In particular, the highlight is how to apply gender-responsive budgeting (GRB), how to ensure that needs of women, men and other group are fully taken into account throughout the entire budget cycle. “All of us – no matter which organization we come from or where we live… - share the same desire, the same one goal – that is contributing to the successful realization of gender equality and national development objectives”, said Ms. Nguyen Thu Giang, Deputy Director of LIGHT Institute.

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Press Release

11 August 2022

Signing of the One Strategic Framework for Sustainable Development Cooperation (CF) between the United Nations and the Government of S.R of Viet Nam for the period 2022-2026

The Strategic Framework for Sustainable Development Cooperation 2022 - 2026, ‘CF’ in short, guides and steers the Government of Viet Nam and the UN in Vietnam’s collaboration on accelerating progress to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights the joint commitment to deliver sustainable development for all. Speaking at the signing ceremony, H.E Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment emphasized: “The (CF) Cooperation Framework was signed and will be implemented at a time when Viet Nam has been synchronously implementing solutions to strengthen economic recovery after the pandemic, respond to climate change and transition to a green, circular economy. The Government has also been making efforts to improve institutions and policies in order to mobilize resources from all economic sectors to develop the country. Together with other development partners, the UN plays an important role in supporting Viet Nam in its development, integration and strong participation in the global development through policy advise to the Government, sharing Viet Nam’s experience with developing countries and introducing international experience to ensure a sustainable, green growth economy that balances economic and social development.” The UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam, Ms. Pauline Tamesis, affirmed that “For the UN, the pandemic strengthened our conviction of the primacy of leaving no one behind. The principle of leaving no one behind runs through the CF as the fundamental commitment of the UN in Viet Nam. Ensuring that no one is left behind requires a broad, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. I feel confident that we - who are meeting here today - are agents of change, ensuring that Viet Nam can tap into its adaptive, industrious and growing population to spur long-term sustainable development for all, while protecting the planet.” The Government of Viet Nam has together with the United Nations outlined four key development outcomes: • Inclusive social development, with a focus on inclusive, gender responsive, disability sensitive, equitable, affordable and quality social services and social protection, with the aim of freeing people in Viet Nam from poverty in all its dimensions and empowering people to reach their full potential; • Climate change response, disaster resilience and environmental sustainability, with a focus on a safer and cleaner environment as a result of Viet Nam’s effective mitigation and adaptation to climate change, disaster risk reduction and resilience building, promotion of circular economy, the provision of clean and renewable energy, and the sustainable management of natural resources; • Shared prosperity through economic transformation, with a focus on sustainable, inclusive and gender-responsive economic transformation based on innovation, entrepreneurship, enhanced productivity, competitiveness and decent work; and • Governance and access to justice, with a focus on improved governance, more responsive institutions, strengthened rule of law and the protection of and respect for human rights, gender equality, and freedom from all forms of violence and discrimination in line with international standards. The signing ceremony is taking place at the Ministry of Planning and Investment with the attendance of a wide audience of stakeholders including representatives from Ministries and Agencies, the UN, development partners, private sector, other organizations and the media.

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