This report was introduced to the public for the first time, analyzing the achievements of 19 countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia on the position of girls in the fields of education, economics, healthcare, child protection and their participation in the development of legal policies that are relevant to them.

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The research by Plan International shows that investing in gender equality, especially investments in girls and young women, can bring about positive results for all.

Studies of in-depth indicators on each sector show that even countries with the overall high ranking still need to work harder in specific areas. Singapore, for example, is at the top of the list but still lacks specific children's laws. The Philippines ranks second but it still faces many challenges in terms of health issues. Also according to this report, Vietnam ranks 3rd overall, behind Singapore and the Philippines. This is a great achievement, recognizing the efforts of the Government, relevant agencies, sectors, unions, and organizations working in the field of child protection and gender equality as well as the whole society.

“I am very happy to receive the report and especially proud that Vietnam has a very high overall ranking. Vietnam's not very high ranking in the index related to protecting children from abuse and violence is also a great motivation for us to continue our efforts to support the government and relevant agencies to solve the problem effectively. This is also the main priority of the Vietnamese government and I believe that Vietnam will continue to maintain its current high rankings and even surpass the Philippines or Singapore in the future", said Ms. Sharon Kane, Country Director of Plan International in Vietnam.

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Promoting gender equality and empowering women is the goal of all humanity, including Vietnam, where male chauvinism still persists. Despite many achievements in the field of gender equality, Vietnam still continues to improve policies and laws; strengthen the role of the entire political system; enlist resources to ensure gender equality and empower women.

A prominent feature in promoting the status of girls in Vietnam is the completion of the legal and policy framework on gender equality. Vietnam has developed and issued legal documents expressing the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination in accordance with the Law on Gender Equality 2006 and the United Nations Convention on the elimination of discrimination against women.

Vietnam has issued the National Strategy on Gender Equality for the period 2011-2020 with the aim of raising awareness, narrowing the gender gap and enhancing the status of women; actively implementing international and regional initiatives to promote the protection of women's rights and fight discrimination against women. The goal of equality between men and women and empowering women and girls, one of the three millennium goals (MDG 2013), was completed by Vietnam before the 2015 deadline, making Vietnam one of countries that eliminated gender gap the fastest in the past 20 years.

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In addition, the Vietnamese government has implemented many specific programs, for example, the model "Support for women and girls" to enhance the role and position of women and girls in the family, community and society, contributing to reducing gender imbalance.

Currently, about 80% of girls in remote and ethnic minority areas attend school at the right age. The sex ratio imbalance is gradually shortening.

In the world today, no country has achieved absolute gender equality. The countries in Asia and Vietnam are also no exception. Therefore, along with the improvement of legal policies, Vietnam ultimately promotes education activities to raise awareness of leaders, society, families and women about women's rights, and strengthen international cooperation, make use of all resources to ensure gender equality and women's empowerment.

“Only about 10 years left for us to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, Plan International wants to call on all countries in Asia to invest in girls today. That is why we want to share with you this report,” said Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, General Director of Plan International Global at the press conference announcing the report in Vietnam.

Hoa Binh