Preventing "real" gender inequality in the "virtual" environment.

(PLVN) - Although Vietnam has made significant progress, the majority of victims of online fraud or abuse are still women and children. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen law enforcement, strive for innovation, take action, and cooperate across sectors to address the issue.

Báo Pháp Luật Việt Nam•13/12/2025

" Filling the missing piece" in the protection of women and girls.

According to statistics from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), one in five Vietnamese children and adolescents are victims of cyberbullying; more than 94,000 children aged 12-17 are victims of online sexual abuse. The Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department reports that since the beginning of the year, it has received and processed over 50 cases of "online kidnapping" targeting individuals aged 18-22, 90% of whom are female.

Therefore, the missing piece in protecting women and girls in cyberspace is "digital safety". On November 28, 2025, in Lam Dong province, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union organized a rally to respond to the Action Month for Gender Equality 2025.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Huong, Vice President of the Vietnam Women's Union, 2025 marks a turning point in Vietnam's digital transformation, with the Politburo issuing Resolution 57-NQ/TW on the development of science and technology and innovation; alongside this, Vietnam successfully organized the signing ceremony of the United Nations' "Hanoi Convention" on combating cybercrime. To keep pace with this trend and ensure "digital safety" for women and children in cyberspace, the Vietnam Women's Union has organized numerous training courses on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) for nearly 10,000 Union officials; and launched the "Digital Literacy Movement" to enhance women's digital literacy. In the coming period, the Association proposes incorporating the topic of "safety in the digital space" into the campaign "Building a family with 5 no's, 3 clean's, and 3 safe's," where the "3 safe's" include safety, peace of mind, and well-being, both in the physical and digital spaces. The Association will also coordinate efforts to build a safe, violence-free, and abuse-free online environment for women and children...

As the host locality for the 2025 Gender Equality Action Month in Lam Dong, according to Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao - Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union, in recent years, the Women's Union at all levels has organized hundreds of communication sessions on digital skills, identifying fake news, and preventing and combating online fraud. Many effective models have been implemented such as "Digital Literacy for the People," "Digital Women's Group," and "Preventing and Minimizing the Harm of Gender-Based Violence." Currently, 100% of women's union branches in Lam Dong have used social media for dissemination. The movement "Lam Dong Women Applying Digital Technology in Life" continues to spread, helping women become proficient in using online meeting platforms, completing administrative procedures online, and making cashless payments. In the coming time, the Provincial Women's Union will continue to promote the movement "Each woman has one basic digital skill," build a "safe cyberspace for women," and promote the role of women as "digital companions" in spreading humanitarian values.

The event

The event "Digital Vaccine - Not Alone" on November 28, 2025. (Source: MSD)

In response to the 2025 Action Month for Gender Equality and Prevention of Gender-Based Violence, themed “Gender Equality and Safety for Women and Girls in the Digital Age,” and the “Not Alone” Campaign, on November 28, 2025, the Digital Trust Alliance (DTA), the Institute for Sustainable Development Management Research (MSD United Way Vietnam), and the Vietnam Women's Academy jointly organized the event “Digital Vaccine - Not Alone - For a Safe Online Environment for Women and Girls.”

Offering a fresh perspective, Ms. Nguyen Phuong Linh, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development Management Research (MSD) and a member of the Executive Board of the Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response Network (GBVNet), argues that online risks affect all users, but women are more heavily impacted by prejudiced barriers. These prejudices, even in seemingly harmless compliments, can become "invisible chains" limiting women's opportunities. For example, praising women as "obedient" or "skilled in domestic arts" inadvertently reinforces the notion that women are only suited to domestic roles, thereby stifling their self-confidence and aspirations to participate in socio-political life. When these prejudices are repeated online, they create even more barriers, making it difficult for women and girls to reach their full potential. "To empower women and girls in the digital age, it is necessary to create conditions for them to access knowledge, master technology, and receive the necessary protection from cyber threats," emphasized Ms. Nguyen Phuong Linh.

Law and cooperation are the "shields" protecting women and children in the digital age.

In late October 2025, within the framework of the opening ceremony of the United Nations' "Hanoi Convention" on combating cybercrime, a high-level policy dialogue was held on protecting women and children in cyberspace, as well as promoting global cooperation to build a safe and humane digital environment for all. Opinions expressed at the dialogue highlighted the reality that, given the scale, complexity, and transnational nature of cybercrime, international cooperation plays an extremely important role in enabling effective prevention, investigation, and accountability for cybercrime.

"The Hanoi Convention is a significant step forward, a shared achievement of the international community in the effort to protect children in cyberspace, not only helping to protect them but also aiming for early prevention of harmful acts," emphasized David Wright, head of the UK's Internet Safety Centre.

According to Camillia Layne, head of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P), Article 16 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in Hanoi clearly stipulates that the intentional dissemination of sensitive images without consent is a criminal offense under international law. This is a significant step forward in efforts to protect privacy and human dignity. “AI-generated images or deepfake technology are a major threat. Since 2014, Canada has had laws regarding the dissemination of private images without consent. To date, we strongly support Article 16 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in Hanoi…”

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union organized a rally in response to the 2025 Action Month for Gender Equality in Lam Dong province. (Source: Vietnam Women's Union)

"The Cybersecurity Law is a shield protecting women and children in the digital age," affirmed Nguyen Thi Tuyen, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vice Chairwoman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and President of the Vietnam Women's Union, in a media interview during the discussion of the draft Cybersecurity Law at the 10th Session of the 15th National Assembly (the Cybersecurity Law was passed by the National Assembly on December 10, 2025).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyen highly appreciated many new contents in the Cybersecurity Law, including regulations that directly protect women and children such as: regarding the protection of personal data and privacy, the legalization of the responsibility to protect personal data is very important for the safety of women; regarding the prevention and combating of child abuse in cyberspace, this is a major step forward, especially in the context that children, especially girls, are targets of many acts of seduction and abuse through the online environment; regarding the requirement for platform businesses to enhance their responsibility to protect users, this is a necessary mechanism to ensure timeliness in protecting female and child victims; regarding the regulations on blocking, filtering, and removing harmful and false content, women are a group often attacked through defamation and insults online, so this regulation contributes to building a healthy and dignified online space; Regarding the protection of human rights and civil rights in the digital environment, this is an important foundation for women to confidently study, work, participate in business, and develop their digital capabilities.

"Overall, these new regulations represent progress in policy approach, prioritizing the protection of women and children, in line with the requirements for building a safe and humane online environment in the digital age," emphasized Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyen.

According to the President of the Vietnam Women's Union, Nguyen Thi Tuyen, "when the Cybersecurity Law is passed by the National Assembly, the Vietnam Women's Union will proactively implement a series of practical activities to support women and children in effectively and appropriately implementing the law in accordance with practical conditions. We have identified three key tasks: Firstly, promoting widespread communication about rights and obligations when participating in cyberspace; secondly, building and implementing the 'Digital Safety for Women and Children' program; and thirdly, mobilizing the community and technology businesses to participate in protecting women and children. We believe that with the synchronized involvement of the entire Women's Union system, the coordination of functional agencies and the social community, the provisions of the Cybersecurity Law will be effectively implemented, contributing to building a more civilized and safer online environment for women and children."

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/ngan-chan-bat-binh-dang-gioi-thuc-tren-moi-truong-ao.html