Vietnam Gender Assessment 2006

With one of the highest rates of economic participation of women in the world, Vietnam is one of the more advanced countries with respect to gender equality. However, the progress is not entirely uniform, and it faces new challenges as the country moves to a more open market economy.

Over the last few decades, Vietnam has made striking progress in improving people’s well-being and reducing gender disparities. Vietnam now ranks 109th out of 177 countries in UNDP’s human development index (UNDP 2006), placing it in the group of countries with medium human development.

In the East Asia and Pacific region, Vietnam stands out for its success in closing gender gaps in the last 20 years. It ranks 80th, out of 136 countries, on the Gender Development Index. These efforts have resulted in high adult literacy rates for men and women; school enrolment data that show little difference between boys and girls; and the highest percentage of women in national parliament in the region (27 percent since 2002). Vietnam also has one of the highest economic participation rates in the world where 85 percent of men and 83 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 60 participated in the labor force in 2002 (Vietnam Development Report 2004).

Vietnam has made good progress in improving gender equality. Given the attention gender has received in national planning, further improvements seem assured.

The Vietnam Gender Assessment 2006  provides the analytical background and a common framework for the donors and the Government in tackling gender inequality in the future. The report highlights four issues that require additional attention.

1. First, ethnic minority women and girls lag behind ethnic minority men and Kinh and Chinese women in accessing health and education services and economic opportunities.
2. Second, there is persistent gender stereotyping in textbooks, which perpetuates gender inequalities.
3. Third, greater recognition is needed regarding the increasingly important role played by women in the agriculture sector, recognizing the sheer numbers of women involved.
4. Fourth, progress in increasing the number of women in decision making has been slow and inconsistent.

To ensure continued progress, the report recommends:

• Developing innovative solutions to increase access to health, education, and
  agricultural services in ethnic minority areas.
• Preparing gender-sensitive modules and materials for use in schools.
• Developing creative solutions to support women farmers more proactively.
• Preparing a roadmap—including policy changes, training, instruments, and
  resources—to increase the number of women in decision making.
  
  

Download:
Executive Summary (English ) (161kb pdf)
Full Report (English) | Full Report (Vietnamese)

Also read: Gender in East Asia and Pacific