VietNamNet Bridge – The national strategy for gender equality by 2020 will specify indicators and measures to improve female human resources and narrow the gender gap in the education and training, science and technology and politics sectors, said Minister of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

As Viet Nam seeks to become a fully industrialised country by 2020, the multi-faceted changes in the society induced by development would be a solid foundation to help promote gender equality, she said.

The strategy will focus on seven fields including politics, labour and employment, education and science and technology, health care, culture and information, domestic issues and State management.

The strategy plans for women to have half of the country's Masters degrees, along with 25 per cent of PhD degree holders would be female as well.

In order to promote the role of women in leadership, the State is aiming to have women holding 25 per cent of Party Committee seats at all levels. The number of representatives in the National Assembly and People's Council at all levels would be 35 per cent and above.

The strategy is also mandating that female officers must hold at least 30 per cent of the key leadership positions in state agencies.

Statistics report that women accounted for 50.6 per cent of the population, but the percentage of female officers in the public sector was only 9.11 per cent.

Minister Ngan said mainstreaming gender equality within the legislator and promoting programmes and socio-economic development projects were key to creating a legal framework that would boost gender equality.

Ngan said that achieving gender equality was a daunting task.

She said there was a gap between laws and policies and de facto implementation, which creates obstacles for the implementation of targets concerning gender equality.

Vu Ngoc Thuy, deputy head of the ministry's Gender Equality Department, said although the relevant laws were relatively adequate, the real point was how to enforce them.

"For example, when it comes to domestic violence, if the wife never has the courage to stand up for herself, how can the husband be punished? It is very hard to collect the proof," she said.

Minister Ngan said promoting advocacy and awareness among the public would help to address gender inequalities and other related issues.

The Law on Gender Equality was introduced in 2008.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News