On the occasion of the 114th anniversary of International Women's Day (March 8, 1910 - March 8, 2024), Mr. Matt Jackson, Chief Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) wrote an article "Women and girls have the right to make their own decisions", in which he affirmed that Vietnam has achieved many achievements in investing to improve the health and empowerment of women and girls.
Colonel, People's Artist Duong Thi Kim Ngan, Head of the Art Troupe of Military Region 1, and other artists gracefully dressed in traditional ao dai to celebrate International Women's Day, March 8. Photo: Thanh Tung/VNA
According to Mr. Matt Jackson, International Women's Day is an occasion to celebrate the common achievements towards gender equality and women's empowerment, and also an occasion to reflect on the shortcomings; to re-emphasize the commitment, to redouble the common efforts towards ensuring equal rights and choices for everyone everywhere. Citing the example of a woman who suffered from domestic violence and was assisted by the UNFPA-supported One Stop Service Center in Viet Nam, the UNFPA Representative said that this year's International Women's Day emphasizes "Investing in Women: Accelerating Progress". In recent years, there have been many investments to improve the health and empowerment of women and girls, thereby saving millions of lives. However, the progress achieved is still limited. Over the past 20 years, the world's maternal mortality rate has decreased by 34%, but every 2 minutes a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth. During the same period, Vietnam's maternal mortality rate has decreased more than the world's, at 46.5%. However, Mr. Matt Jackson said that Vietnam needs to make efforts to shift to areas where maternal mortality rates are still high, especially in rural and mountainous areas with ethnic minorities. Another achievement in health care and women's empowerment mentioned by the UNFPA Representative in the article is the increasing number of women using modern contraceptive methods. Over the past 30 years, this rate has doubled to 77%. However, there are still more than 250 million women who do not use family planning when they want to avoid pregnancy. In Vietnam, the rate of using modern contraceptive methods has also increased, reaching about 60%. However, the rate of unmet need for contraceptive methods among unmarried women is still four times higher than that of married women. This requires further efforts from all stakeholders.
Doctor Mai Thi Hien guides and cares for newborn babies at home for ethnic people. Photo: Minh Duc/VNA
Another area that requires more investment is ending gender-based violence and harmful practices such as child marriage and son preference. According to Mr. Matt Jackson, globally, one in three women has experienced violence. In Viet Nam, according to the National Study on Violence Against Women and Girls conducted in 2019, two in three women have experienced violence by a husband or intimate partner and 90% of them have never sought help. In this area, support from UNFPA and partners focuses on three aspects: supporting the provision of services such as establishing national hotlines and one-stop service centers; addressing root causes such as gender inequality to prevent violence and change the stigma associated with violence. Of particular concern is the increasing level of cyber violence against women and girls, especially the risk of cyber-image abuse. Mr. Matt Jackson said that UNFPA's global #bodyright campaign focuses on this area and calls on governments and technology companies to do more to protect people online. On the occasion of International Women's Day this year, UNFPA in Viet Nam organized a quiz on its social media page and an online workshop to raise awareness and share experiences of self-protection online among young people. 2024 is also the anniversary of the success of the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in 1994. At this conference, the governments of 179 countries, including Viet Nam, put gender equality, women's empowerment and human rights at the heart of development. This international unity provides the basis for achieving prosperity, growth and building resilient communities. According to Mr. Matt Jackson, achieving gender equality has a positive impact on each family, each community and more broadly on the economy of each country. Investing 1 USD in maternal health care can bring 8 USD in economic benefits. Similarly, investing in family planning has an even higher economic benefit of 10 USD. Investing in enabling women to participate in the workforce can increase per capita gross domestic product (GDP) by nearly 20% and businesses can increase labor productivity by 15% if they invest in sexual and reproductive health care for workers. The UNFPA Representative said that during his term in Vietnam, he will promote investment support for cervical cancer screening and prevention, and advocate for the inclusion of HPV vaccination in the National Immunization Program - simple efforts that can save many women's lives from preventable diseases. Mr. Matt Jackson affirmed that UNFPA in Vietnam is committed to ensuring that its projects and programs are responsive to the needs of all people; put people at the center and always reflect their thoughts and aspirations. In the article, the UNFPA Representative emphasized the importance of women in leadership and said that this is an important part of socio-economic growth in Vietnam. “The arguments for the relationship between gender equality for each individual, each community and the economy are clear. Together, we can create a world where women and girls are empowered to make their own decisions. And above all, every action will help ensure the principle of leaving no one behind,” UNFPA Representative Matt Jackson called.
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