On September 2, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, declaring to all compatriots nationwide and the whole world: “Vietnam has the right to enjoy freedom and independence, and in fact has become a free and independent country. The entire Vietnamese people are determined to devote all their spirit and strength, their lives and property to maintain that freedom and independence.” The Declaration of Independence is the first document affirming the human rights, freedom and national equality of the Vietnamese people in accordance with international ethics and law. Over the past 78 years, the above-mentioned rights, including the right to equality between ethnic groups and the right to gender equality in our country, have achieved important achievements.
Vietnam is currently a unified country with 54 ethnic groups with about 100 million people, of which ethnic minorities account for 14.3% with over 12.3 million people.
On April 19, 1946, not long after the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was founded, President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter to the Southern Ethnic Minorities Congress in Pleiku (Gia Lai province), affirming: “The Kinh or Tho, Muong or Man, Gia Rai or E De, Xe Dang or Ba Na and other ethnic minorities are all descendants of Vietnam, all blood brothers. We live and die together, share happiness and suffering together, help each other in hunger and fullness”. This can be considered a concise statement on the policy of great national unity of our Party and State.
The five constitutions of Vietnam over the years, since the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam until now - the 1946 Constitution, the 1959 Constitution, the 1980 Constitution, the 1992 Constitution (amended and supplemented in 2001), and the 2013 Constitution - have all recognized and affirmed the equal rights of all ethnic groups in our country. All acts of contempt, oppression, and division of ethnic groups are strictly prohibited.
Article 5 of the 1992 Constitution affirms: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a unified state of all ethnic groups living together in Vietnam. The State implements a policy of equality, solidarity and mutual assistance among ethnic groups. Ethnic groups have the right to use their own language and writing, preserve their national identity and promote their fine customs, practices, traditions and cultures. The State implements a policy of development in all aspects, gradually improving the material and spiritual life of ethnic minorities.
The 2013 Constitution states: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a unified nation of all ethnic groups living together in Vietnam. All ethnic groups are equal, united, respect and help each other to develop together. The national language is Vietnamese. All ethnic groups have the right to use their own language and writing, preserve their national identity, and promote their fine customs, practices, traditions and cultures. The State implements a policy of comprehensive development and creates conditions for all ethnic minorities to promote their internal strength and develop together with the country.
The principle of equality among ethnic groups of the Constitution has been expressed throughout the entire Vietnamese legal system, institutionalized and concretized in legal documents: Law on National Assembly Elections, Law on Nationality, Penal Code; Criminal Procedure Code; Civil Code; Civil Procedure Code; Labor Law; Education Law; Law on Protection of People's Health; Law on State Compensation Liability and many other legal documents.
In addition, regulations on equality among ethnic groups are also institutionalized by the Ethnic Council, with the task of researching and making recommendations to the National Assembly on ethnic affairs; exercising the right to supervise the implementation of ethnic policies, programs, and plans for socio-economic development in mountainous areas and areas with ethnic minorities. In the Government, there is a ministerial-level agency - the Ethnic Committee, which is the agency responsible for ethnic affairs.
Every citizen in Vietnam is guaranteed the right to participate in the political system, participate in State and social management, and run for election to the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels. In recent years, the proportion of ethnic minorities participating in the political apparatus has increased. The number of National Assembly deputies who are ethnic minorities always accounts for a high proportion compared to the population. In four consecutive National Assembly terms, the number of National Assembly deputies who are ethnic minorities has ranged from 15.6% to 17.27%, higher than the proportion of ethnic minorities in the total population of 14.3%.
In the list of 499 elected deputies to the 15th National Assembly (2021 - 2026), there are 89 deputies who are ethnic minorities belonging to the following ethnic groups: Tay, Thai, Mong, Muong, Khmer, Cham, E De, Kho Mu, Nung, Giay, San Diu, Tho, Xo Dang, Brau, San Chay (Cao Lan), Lu, La Chi, Van Kieu, Lao, Hoa, Co Ho... Localities with a high percentage of elected deputies from ethnic minorities include: Son La, Tuyen Quang, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Bac Kan, Soc Trang, Dak Lak.
According to the Ethnic Committee, currently the country has 68,781 ethnic minority staff, accounting for 11.68% of the total staff nationwide. Ethnic minority civil servants and public employees are given priority in planning, recruitment, use and appointment to the state agency system.
With the characteristics of scattered and interspersed residence, mainly concentrated in mountainous areas, especially in the Northwest, Central Highlands and Southwest, the development level of ethnic minorities is still low compared to the general level of the whole country. In order to support ethnic minorities in exercising their rights to equality, improving their material and spiritual life, and gradually narrowing the development gap between ethnic groups, in recent years, the Party and State have given many priorities in implementing socio-economic development policies for ethnic minority areas.
Many programs have brought about practical results such as: Action Program 122 of the Government on Ethnic Affairs; Resolution 30a/2008/NQ-CP of the Government on Sustainable Poverty Reduction; Program 135 (phase 2) on Socio-economic Development of particularly disadvantaged communes in ethnic minority, mountainous, remote and isolated areas; policies and programs giving priority to infrastructure investment, solving land for production and housing (Decision 132); supporting land for production, housing and essential needs for production and life for poor ethnic minorities (Decision 134)...
Thanks to the correct policies and guidelines of the Party and the State, the economic and social situation in ethnic minority and mountainous areas has improved significantly. Since 2007, 118,530 ethnic minority households with special difficulties have received loans, 33,969 households have received support to develop production, 80,218 households have received support to expand livestock farming, and 4,343 households have received support to expand into the service sector.
The quality of life of ethnic minorities has also been gradually improved. Infrastructure to ensure the protection and care of their health has been invested in and built. Up to now, 100% of communes have health stations and health workers, 100% of districts have health centers and doctors; the number of malnourished children under 5 years old has decreased to less than 25%. Some diseases that were previously common in ethnic minority and mountainous areas such as malaria, goiter, leprosy, and tuberculosis have been prevented and pushed back.
The cultural and spiritual life of ethnic minorities has improved significantly in recent years, and the level of cultural enjoyment has been enhanced. Many cultural features of ethnic minorities have been preserved, developed, and recognized as world cultural heritages such as: "Central Highlands Gong Cultural Space", "My Son Sanctuary", "Dong Van Stone Plateau". Radio and television programs in both Vietnamese and 26 ethnic minority languages are broadcast widely to remote villages.
In addition, education and training, improving the intellectual level of ethnic minorities in areas with a large population of ethnic minorities have also been promoted and achieved many important achievements. The system of professional secondary schools, colleges, vocational schools; boarding schools, semi-boarding schools, and ethnic university preparatory schools in areas with a large population of ethnic minorities have all been invested in and built. Since 2012, 100% of communes have met the standards for universal primary education, many places have met the standards for universal secondary education, 95% of ethnic minority children go to school.
In the Declaration of Independence, President Ho Chi Minh wrote: “All men are born equal”. Thus, gender equality is also a guarantee of basic human rights.
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born on September 2, 1945, and the 1946 Constitution already stipulated gender equality. Article 9 of the 1946 Constitution clearly stated: "Women are equal to men in all aspects."
In the 1959 Constitution, women's rights and obligations were more clearly defined. The 2013 Constitution has detailed provisions on women's rights on the basis of inheriting and developing the provisions of previous Constitutions. To specify the provisions of the Constitution, in 2006, the Law on Gender Equality was promulgated and has increasingly become effective.
The 15th National Assembly of Vietnam, elected on May 23, 2021, has 499 deputies, including 151 female deputies, accounting for 30.26%. This is the second time that the number of female National Assembly deputies in our country has reached over 30% (the first time was the 5th National Assembly, reaching 32.31%), and the first time since the 6th National Assembly term that the number of female National Assembly deputies has reached over 30%.
The number of female People's Council delegates at the provincial level reached 26.5% (an increase of 1.37% compared to the previous term); at the district level it reached 27.9% (an increase of 3.2% compared to the previous term).
At the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, among the officially elected Central Committee members, there were 18 female delegates (not including 1 alternate member, an increase of 1 delegate compared to the 12th term).
According to statistics from the Vietnam Women's Union, during this term, at the grassroots level, the number of women participating in Party committees reached 21%, an increase of 2%; at the upper-grassroots level, it reached 17%, an increase of 2%. For Party committees directly under the Central Committee, the percentage of women reached 16%, an increase of 3% compared to the previous term.
Thanks to the correct policies and guidelines of the Party and the State, the field of gender equality in general and gender equality in leadership and management in particular has achieved many achievements, recognized by the international community. Vietnam ranks 51st in the world, 4th in Asia and first in the Inter-Parliamentary Union of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in terms of the proportion of female National Assembly deputies. The gender equality index is constantly improving. In 2020, Vietnam ranked 87th out of 153 countries surveyed in the world in terms of narrowing the gender gap.
In addition, achievements in gender equality are also reflected in the reduction of gender gaps in the economic, labor and employment sectors; enhancing women's economic empowerment, enhancing access of poor women in rural areas and ethnic minority women to economic resources and the labor market; focusing on developing high-quality female human resources. The rate of enterprises owned by women reached 26.5%, ranking 9th out of 58 countries and economies studied; many female entrepreneurs are prestigious and highly ranked in the region and the world. In the fields of culture and sports, many women have won regional and international awards. Female ambassadors, female diplomats, female police officers, female soldiers participating in United Nations peacekeeping activities have become "messengers" of peace, friendship, cooperation and development of our country in foreign affairs activities... The source of female scientific research human resources has increased significantly. Many women are professors, associate professors, and doctors. Thousands of female intellectuals have achieved national and international success in scientific research, bringing high economic value and profound humanity.
At the online conference of the Prime Minister's dialogue with Vietnamese women, with the theme "Promoting gender equality and promoting the role of women in socio-economic development" in October 2022, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed: It is necessary to continue to have a correct understanding of the role and position of women, women's work and gender equality. We still have a lot to do to bring a better life to women, so that women have the opportunity and conditions to contribute to society and the country, leaving no one behind; together solving and taking responsibility for implementing gender equality goals and for the advancement of women.
Article: Tran Quang Vinh - Phuong Anh Photos, graphics: VNA Edited by: Ky Thu Presented by: Quoc Binh
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