Promoting Greater Cybersecurity for Women and Girls in Viet Nam

Participants of the workshop "Women, Peace and Cybersecurity - Enhancing Cybersecurity and Privacy in the Digital Landscape of Viet Nam for Women and Girls" in Hanoi, Viet Nam. Photo: UN Women/Hoang Thao

Hanoi, Viet Nam — Digital security and privacy protection for women and girls in Viet Nam’s digital transformation were the focus of a workshop in Hanoi co-organized by the Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and UN Women.

Entitled "Women, Peace and Cybersecurity – Enhancing Cybersecurity and Privacy in the Digital Landscape of Viet Nam for Women and Girls", the workshop – held on 22 November – was an effort to promote dialogue and seek actionable solutions in the realm of cybersecurity, ensuring the safety and privacy of women and girls, including women leaders and women’s organizations.

The discussions centred on key considerations for cybersecurity laws, means of safeguarding women and girls during the digital transformation and enhancing cybersecurity, privacy and personal data protection in the digital landscape of Viet Nam for women and girls through gender-responsive approaches.

"As information technology becomes more omnipresent in our daily lives, individuals are sharing an increasing amount of information and personal data online, both with other users and with businesses offering services. This extends from fundamental details to information encompassing biometrics, psychological insights, and even thoughts and actions. The widespread availability of personal data in cyberspace corresponds directly to the potential consequences that arise when this information is not sufficiently and appropriately safeguarded," said Lieutenant General Nguyen Minh Chinh, Member of the Central Public Security Party Committee, Director of the Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control, Standing Vice Chairman of the National Cyber Security Association and Chairman of the Workshop.

The participants included leaders and delegates representing the newly established Vietnam National Cyber Security Association, the Department of Cyber Security and High Tech Crime Prevention and Control, together with other departments under the Ministry of Public Security, Hanoi Police, Central Vietnam Women's Union, Women's Committee of the People's Public Security, Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council, Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Information and Communications, embassies and UN agencies in Viet Nam.

By bringing together experts and policymakers in the public security sector, and the leaders of the Vietnam National Cyber Security Association, representing hundreds of reputable agencies, organizations, businesses, experts and scholars in the field of cyber security, the aim was to contribute to the creation of a secure digital environment that upholds the rights and well-being of women and girls in Viet Nam.

UN Women Head of Office in Viet Nam a.i. Ms. Caroline Nyamayemombe at the workshop. Photo: UN Women/Hoang Thao

The event took place under the umbrella of the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda and its pillars of prevention, protection, participation and relief and recovery, examining how these principles apply to a safer cyberspace in Viet Nam.

UN Women is the lead UN entity on the WPS agenda in the Asia-Pacific region and supports governments, women’s organisations and other stakeholders to develop and implement WPS National Action Plans and related initiatives, including in emerging areas such as cybersecurity.

“In this era of unprecedented digital connectivity, where the boundaries between physical and virtual worlds have been a fine line for all groups of population in our society. The government has always played a pivotal role in shaping policies and responses that can either perpetuate or alleviate gender-based disparities in the digital transformation for a safer virtual world for Vietnamese women and girls,” noted UN Women Head of Office in Viet Nam a.i. Ms. Caroline Nyamayemombe.

The workshop was supported by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and the Government of Australia through their Cyber and Critical Tech Cooperation Programme. 

In joining forces for change, the Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control and UN Women also reaffirmed their spirit of unity and readiness to cooperate further on advising MPS and the Government of Viet Nam on effective solutions to ensure security, privacy and the ability to recover from any damage that may arise for Vietnamese women and girls online in a protected digital ecosystem.