The national action month on gender equality and gender-based violence prevention and response was launched in Da Nang on Tuesday morning.

Municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh speaking at the launching ceremony

The month, lasting from November 15 - December 15, has the theme of ‘Ensuring social security, empowering and creating opportunities for women and girls to achieve gender equality and eliminate violence against women and girls’.

This theme once again affirms Viet Nam’s priorities and commitments to promote gender quality substantively, contributing to helping women and children living in difficult circumstances stabilise their lives, reduce pressure and risk of violence and abuse, in the context that Viet Nam is recovering from the severe impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of the action month, municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh acknowledged and highly lauded the coordination of agencies, mass organizations and localities in ensuring gender equality and preventing gender-based violence.

He informed that Party committees and authorities at all levels have paid special attention to ensuring social welfare, and promoting gender equality and gender-based violence prevention and response over the past time. Thanks to this, the city has gained a number of positive results. Particularly, the proportion of female leaders at State management agencies and local governments reaches 48% of the city’s workforce. In addition, men are increasingly involved in household chores.

Along with that, many activities and models to promote gender equality and gender-based violence prevention and response have become effective. The city's results significantly contribute to Viet Nam's 65^th ranking in the Gender Development Index among 162 countries and among the highest in five groups in the world.

At the launching ceremony, the organisers awarded 13 gifts, worth VND2 million each, to poor women suffering from serious diseases

Vice Chairman Minh also took the opportunity to ask authorities at all levels, sectors and localities to focus on communication activities to raise awareness of agencies, organisations and people on gender equality; actively commit to and take concrete and practical actions to build a safe city free of violence against women and children.

He also urged media agencies in the city to promote education to change the perception and behaviour of each citizen, especially changing traditional concepts, gender stereotypes and gender-based violence and honouring examples of typical collectives and individuals in gender equality and gender-based violence prevention and response.

Also at the launching ceremony, the organisers awarded 13 gifts, worth VND2 million each, to poor women suffering from serious diseases.

Reporting by X.DUNG - Translating by M.DUNG