UN official suggests Vietnam ensure gender perspectives in digital policies

She also suggested the country enhance quality education for women and girls, forecast and anticipate future job and skill needs, increase data collection and address gender-based violence online.

In her remarks, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha, who is also Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam, briefed participants on the National Programme on Digital Transformation until 2025, with a vision towards 2030 approved by the Prime Minister on June 3, 2020.

Digital transformation aims to change expectations about gender stereotypes in professions, including enhancing female role models’ participation in information technology, she said.

The Deputy Minister added that digital transformation will also create a boost in women's confidence in the field of information technology, noting that equipping women with necessary skills and supporting their transition to digitally relevant forms of jobs is critical to ensuring that women are not left behind.

The policy dialogue, themed “Innovation and technology for gender equality in Vietnam: opportunities and challenges,” was co-organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the UN in Vietnam and the National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

It brought together 100 representatives from ministries, agencies, localities, socio-political organisations, social organisations and UN agencies.

The participants called digital transformation an important impulse to gender equality and women’s empowerment, as well as the settlement of gender-based violence.

They also looked into digital transformation in Vietnam and women’s role in the digital era in different spheres.

The dialogue aligned with the International Women's Day's global theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” and responded to the priority theme of the 67th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”

It was intended to honour the contributions of women and girls in innovation, technology and digital education while identifying the impacts of digital transformation on the risks of exacerbating economic and social inequalities.

The information and recommendations presented at the dialogue will be fed into Vietnam's report at the 67th session slated for mid-March in New York.