said Ambassador Nguyen Nguyet Nga, Senior Advisor to the ASEAN 2020 National Secretariat and Vietnam’s representative at the ASEAN Women for Peace Registry (AWPR).

Ambassador Nguyen Nguyet Nga, Senior Advisor to the ASEAN 2020 National Secretariat and Vietnam’s representative at the ASEAN Women for Peace Registry (Photo: VNA)

The summit is a hallmark of the ASEAN Year 2020 when Vietnam holds the Chairmanship, she said, noting that it creates a momentum for regional women to prove their role in the community.

Among the vulnerable groups, women are the worst affected by COVID-19 in many aspects such as health care, education and employment. Therefore, they play a significant role in the pandemic fight and post-pandemic recovery, Nga told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the sidelines of the summit.

The pandemic combat, digital transformation and the fourth Industrial Revolution require the soft power of women, as well as their connectivity and adaptability capacity, she went on.

According to the ambassador, ASEAN must contribute to the common goals set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including gender equality and the empowerment of women and children, if the bloc wants to affirm its global role.

President of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Ha Thi Nga said the summit demonstrates ASEAN’s strong commitments to enhancing gender equality and empowering women, and Vietnam’s consistent policy on promoting women’s progress and gender equality.

The summit will promote women’s role in all sectors, towards a comprehensive ASEAN with people at the centre, she said.

The VWU will actively and responsibly contribute to ASEAN, as well as other regional and international mechanisms, thus contributing to promoting women’s progress and gender equality, she pledged.

In an interview with the VNA, Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative for Vietnam, said women have an extraordinary role to play, and women’s leadership is extremely important at this time.

“I’m delighted to see the priorities that have been given within summit, at the first ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit. Women join forces across ASEAN and beyond. They can have an extraordinary impact on business, peace and peace building.”

“UNDP is honoured to accompany Vietnam and its women leadership and economic empowerment,” she said, stressing that the UNDP stands ready to partner and deepen the work together.

In this regard, Ambassador of the Netherlands Elsbeth Akkerman also commended Vietnam for organising the ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit.

“I think it is great that Vietnam underlines the fact that women can play a very strong role in economic and social development,” she said.

The Ambassador unveiled that Dutch Queen Maxima will take part in this summit in her role as the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development./.VNA