A workshop was held in Hanoi on May 7 to promote the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in Southeast Asia.
Vietnamese and foreign delegates discussed women’s rights in politics and their access to the benefits of nationality, employment, and socio-economic development.

They debated the strategies, policies, programmes, and solutions of ASEAN member nations as they work to implement the standards demanded by the CEDAW.

All ASEAN member nations have adopted the CEDAW to promote and protect the rights of regional women.

The convention principles accord with national development plans, policies and programmes.

Participants agreed that the representation of women in political and government agencies continues to increase considerably. Information campaigns centred on explaining women’s rights and how to defend those rights have also been expanded.

The Vietnamese Government has allocated a bigger amount of its budget to gender equality efforts. Yet, the challenges and shortfalls of development gaps, domestic violence, overexploitation, poverty, and gender discrimination stubbornly persist.

Participants also shared their CEDAW-related experiences in other ASEAN countries.

The workshop was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Labour, Invalid, and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Vietnam.