Ten Vietnamese companies have received the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards in recognition of their policies and practices to advance gender equality in the workplace, marketplace and community.

The workshop that brought together over 40 participants including key policy makers and gender experts from the Government aimed to review challenges and achievements in advancing gender equality in Viet Nam in the past two decades. It was part of a sustained effort by the Government and key stakeholders to review the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) in preparation of the 20th Anniversary of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, to be globally celebrated next year.

Viet Nam has made tremendous strides in developing its legal system since committing to a rule-of-law state in 1991 and adopting a judicial reform policy in 2005. These reforms, along with the passage of the 2006 Law on Gender Equality (GE Law), firmly illustrate the Government’s commitment to building a just and democratic legal system which addresses the needs of all Vietnamese citizens.

HA NOI, 30 March 2012 — UN Women has championed a joint position paper with other UN agencies in Viet Nam. The discussion paper urges Viet Nam to equalize the retirement age for men and women and to elevate women to decision-making positions. The paper was released to coincide with the Consultation Forum on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).