UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Pratibha Mehta has applauded the country’s achievements in gender equality.

Two out of the three criteria of the Millennium Development Goal ongender equality have been completed, the UNDP official said at aconference on women’s role in sustainable development and internationalintegration in Hanoi on June 25.

Vietnam has considerablyenhanced the rate of girls accessing primary and secondary education andthe number of women delegates in the National Assembly (NA), Mehtasaid.

Vietnam is among the regional countries with the highestrate of women parliamentarians, she told participants at the event,which is part of a programme organised by the Foreign Ministry and UNDPto empower women in the public sector.

Addressing the gathering,NA Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan stressed that the Party and Stateof Vietnam always take interest in the implementation of targets ongender equality.

Vietnam’s considerable achievements in the sector have been recognised by the international community, she added.

However, the official said it is necessary for Vietnam to further“innovate” the work on gender equality as well as lift the work to a newheight that is suitable to the new international situation.

Alsoat the conference, Vice Foreign Minister Nguyen Phuong Nga said that inthe country’s new stage of development, bringing into play women’srole, participation and contributions is not only a target but also animportant solution for the implementation of targets on economicrestructuring and sustainable development.

Challenges facing the work on gender equality were also discussed at the conference.
On the occasion, the Foreign Ministry and the UNDP signed stage II (2013 to 2016) of the aforementioned programme.-VNA