That is the worrying reality in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations (UN) stated in the Report entitled “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The State of Gender in 2023” last September.
The report assesses women’s progress towards achieving 17 UN goals by 2030, covering issues ranging from poverty eradication and education to climate change and human rights. However, it highlights the gender gap and global commitment to equality for women.
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| In today's diverse and unpredictable world, the path to achieving gender equality is more difficult than ever. (Source: Getty Images) |
The difficult road
Halfway through the journey to 2030, UN members have been working hard to achieve 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including ensuring gender equality. However, in a diverse and unpredictable world like today, the path to achieving gender equality is more difficult than ever.
On the key goal of eradicating poverty, the report states that one in 10 women will live on less than $2.15 a day. If this trend continues, 8% of the world’s female population (mostly in sub-Saharan Africa) will be living in extreme poverty by 2030. In addition, although access to education is generally increasing for girls and boys, the UN report highlights that millions of girls will never attend school or complete their education. This means that an estimated 110 million students will be out of school by 2030. On the goal of decent work, the report notes that only about two-thirds of women aged 25-54 will participate in the workforce by 2022, compared to 90.6% of men.
In particular, escalating conflicts are leaving the world facing a “shocking” 614 million women and girls living in conflict-affected settings by 2022, 50% higher than in 2017. Furthermore, funding for programmes to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment is “inadequately distributed, unplanned and inconsistent across countries”.
The UN report also points out a sad reality that the world will need to invest an additional 360 billion USD each year to achieve gender equality and empower women by 2030. And so, the SDG goal of gender equality becomes even more distant!
Faced with such a worrying “gray” picture, Assistant Secretary-General Maria-Francesca Spatolisano said in a statement that gender equality is becoming “an increasingly distant goal.” She pointed to obstacles for women and girls living in conflict-affected countries, the impact of climate change, and “resistance to gender equality and underinvestment.” Given the severity of the problem, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) warned that continued failure to prioritize achieving gender equality would leave the 17 UN goals in the docket.
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| Delegates attending the policy dialogue "Gender Equality in Digital Transformation in Vietnam: Opportunities and Challenges" in Hanoi in March 2023. (Source: UN Women) |
Vietnam's Great Step Forward
As a UN member state, Vietnam is strongly committed to the 17 SDGs. It must be admitted that in the current international context, Vietnam is facing many difficulties in realizing the SDGs, including promoting gender equality. However, with high determination and consensus, Vietnam is gradually overcoming difficulties, actively implementing policies and practices, accelerating to "reach the finish line". Currently, Vietnam is one of the earliest countries to complete the SDGs on gender equality, enhancing the status of women and is currently making efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including goals on promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls.
In terms of policy, Vietnam has issued and made efforts to implement policies and solutions to achieve gender equality goals in specific areas such as: National Action Plan for the Advancement of Women by 2000, National Strategy on Gender Equality for the 2011-2020 period, National Program on Gender Equality for the 2011-2015 period, projects and programs on prevention and response to gender-based violence, communication on gender equality... and recently the National Strategy on Gender Equality for the 2021-2030 period.
Not only implementing domestic solutions, Vietnam also always strives to cooperate internationally in promoting gender equality. In many positions such as ASEAN Chair 2020, non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term, President of the 41st ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term, Vietnam always aims to synchronously and effectively implement many important initiatives in enhancing cooperation to promote gender equality and women's empowerment.
The current picture of gender equality in Vietnam has clearly changed in a positive direction. In terms of economics, Vietnamese women are increasingly asserting their position and role, having the opportunity to bring in higher income. That has contributed significantly to helping Vietnam maintain a high economic growth rate over the past decade.
In the political field, according to the UN's assessment, Vietnam is a bright spot in implementing the Millennium Development Goals on gender equality. After the Party Congresses at all levels and the 13th National Party Congress, female cadres participating in Party committees at all levels have increased in both quantity and quality. Currently, the national average rate of female members of provincial Party Committees is 16%; 61/63 provinces and cities have female cadres in the Standing Committee. In the National Assembly, the number of female delegates in the 15th term is 30.26%, an increase of 3.54% compared to the 14th term (26.72%). The election results of People's Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 term also recorded an increase in female delegates, of which the rate of female delegates in provincial People's Councils reached 29% (compared to 26.5% in the previous term).
In terms of education, the enrollment rates of boys and girls in primary and secondary schools are high and balanced. In terms of health care, people's life expectancy has increased, and access to health care services has been increasingly improved. This result demonstrates the efforts in implementing gender equality in Vietnam and is a solid foundation for all levels and sectors to continue to maintain and further promote the implementation of national gender equality goals in the coming period.
However, according to the National Review of Voluntary Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in 2023, there are still certain limitations in promoting gender equality such as: Gender imbalance at birth is still very high and tends to increase with the sex ratio at birth in 2022 being 111.5 boys/100 girls born; the rate of early marriage and early childbearing is quite high among ethnic minority women; violence against women and children still exists. Despite improvements, women still have to take on the main unpaid care work for the family, while the infrastructure for caring for children, the sick, the disabled and the elderly is still limited, which has a certain impact on women's ability to participate in the labor market... In addition, data to monitor and evaluate the implementation of gender equality is still limited.
Vietnam has made great strides in promoting gender equality, but there is still much to do to realize the 17 SDGs, each of which incorporates gender equality elements. As a responsible member of the United Nations, Vietnam will not be discouraged by the current difficulties, joining hands with the international community to ensure that no one is left behind.
| In September 2015, the Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by the UN General Assembly to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. With 17 specific goals by 2030, it became the first globally recognized set of criteria for a better world. |
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