Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved two projects on gender equality and women’s role in coping with climate change costing a total of $3.7 million as granted by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). The UN Women will grant $2.4 million to boost capability in conducting national strategies on gender equality and $1.3 million to promote women’s role in coping with climate change, the government said on its website. The gender equality project will enable Vietnamese state agencies to conduct programs that create favorable conditions for local women in the community, the government said. Gender equality remains a matter of concerns hindering Vietnam’s development as there still exist male chauvinism and prejudice toward female, said Bruce Campbell, Vietnam Resident Coordinator of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Vietnam needs to put in more efforts to create equality for women through proper policies which must be implemented at the provincial level, the official said. Vietnam boasts to have about 25% of female congresswomen in the National Assembly, the country’s highest legislative body, but most of important positions and decisions are not available for them. (Chinhphu Oct 1)
