 |
| Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Hilde Solbakken has always been committed to promoting gender equality in her diplomatic career. (Photo: KT) |
One of the “most generous” policies in the world
Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Solbakken shared that for a long time, Norway had a very strong view that women should stay at home and take care of the family and men should go out and work and be the economic pillars. And part of the change came from: Society realized that Norway's economy was growing and needed to bring women into the workforce.
Thus, thanks to the strong feminist movement of the 1960s and the Gender Equality Act passed in 1978, political organizations began to become more aware of gender equality.
Ambassador Hilde Solbakken: "Norway also has a long way to go to achieve its current achievements in gender equality. Hopefully Vietnam can also do this in the near future." |
According to Ambassador Hilde Solbakken, Norway has many policies to support gender equality, such as providing student loans to help women have the opportunity to study further; building new affordable childcare facilities; increasing paid maternity leave for both husband and wife so that women can work with peace of mind, so that both women and men can ensure a balance between work and family time...
The Ambassador analyzed: “In my opinion, Norway's parental leave policy is one of the most generous in the world. You can choose to receive a slightly lower salary rate in exchange for extended part-time work to care for your children.
Personally, I think this is a really humane economic policy. Because when the Government puts women into the workforce, the country's human resources are better utilized than if only men work. On the other hand, the Government can collect more taxes to spend on better maternity, paternity leave and subsidies."
Not only that, Norway has a very clear approach to education: From kindergarten or primary school, children are taught that boys and girls can do the same things. They have the right to choose and develop according to their interests and abilities, not because they are boys or girls.
“This perspective has followed me throughout my life, helping me form a unique identity for my growing up process,” Ambassador Hilde Solbakken shared.
Currently, Vietnam has a surplus of about 1.5 million baby boys. So in the coming time, what will these boys have to do when they want to find a partner or start a family? How will Vietnam's economy and society be affected?
Therefore, the Norwegian Ambassador hopes that policies promoting gender equality will become one of the top priorities of the Vietnamese Government. Norway also has a long way to go to achieve its current achievements in gender equality, and she hopes that Vietnam can also do this in the near future.
 |
| Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Hilde Solbakken personally prepared delicious dishes with chefs at the Norwegian Seafood Festival. (Photo: KT) |
The fight has gone quite far.
The participation of women in Norway's political system is also an inspiring story. According to Ambassador Hilde Solbakken, in her country, although not perfect, the fight for gender equality has come a long way. "It is the participation of women in politics that will prevent those issues from being forgotten, such as reproductive health and the right to education for girls," the Ambassador emphasized.
“Since I joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1997, the recruitment target for both genders has been 50-50. However, it has taken a long time for women to be appointed to the highest positions in Norway,” she said.
Over time, many political parties in the Nordic country have begun to emphasize gender balance in their boards and candidate lists in elections, as Norwegian women increasingly hold important positions. Furthermore, the government has been proactive in its policy of requiring committees, delegations, and delegations attending conferences and events to ensure that at least 40% of their members are represented by each gender.
A very important step forward is that Norway requires that the Board of Directors of large listed companies must be composed of at least 40% of each gender. This not only ensures a better gender balance but also has a very positive impact on the revenue of businesses.
In addition, according to Ambassador Hilde Solbakken, Norway has a lot of experience supporting peace processes around the world. The country recognizes that, in order to achieve sustainable peace, the participation of women at all levels is extremely important. In many conflicts, women and children are often victims. Women's participation in politics is a prerequisite to ensuring that their voices are heard.
According to the female diplomat, in Vietnam, women account for a very high proportion in government agencies and the political system, but there still seems to be a “glass ceiling”. This is a metaphorical image describing an invisible, informal barrier that hinders women’s advancement to top positions in a company or organization.
| Ambassador Hilde Solbakken: "You know, there are people who can dominate the space as soon as they appear and Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan is one of them." |
Sharing about the Vietnamese female politician that impressed her the most, the Norwegian Ambassador mentioned Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan. In November 2023, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan paid an official visit to Norway. Ambassador Hilde Solbakken had the opportunity to meet and was very impressed with the Vice President.
Ambassador Hilde Solbakken said: “Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan has a really deep knowledge of all the issues that were discussed and discussed. You know, there are people who can dominate the space as soon as they appear and Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan is one of them.
During the working sessions with the Crown Prince, Prime Minister, National Assembly Chairman and Minister of Culture and Gender Equality as well as key Norwegian businesses, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan left very good impressions on the attendees.
Ms. Solbakken hopes that Vietnamese women will take on more leadership positions because they truly deserve it.
 |
| The G4 group, including the Embassies of Canada, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in collaboration with the Women Journalists Club of the Vietnam Journalists Association, organized the “Gender and Journalism” Seminar in October 2023. (Photo: KT) |
“I represent the country, not myself”
So, as a female diplomat, what advantages and disadvantages does Ambassador Hilde Solbakken face in her work? The Ambassador from the Nordic country sincerely shared: “Whether male or female, our job requirements are the same. I am an Ambassador, I need to represent the country, not myself.”
“Norway is very fortunate to have a generation of strong women who have bravely paved the way for us to be equal to men,” she said. “Today, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has an equal number of male and female ambassadors.
We have come so far that women also hold the most prestigious positions in the country. In 1945, Norway had its first female minister, the Minister of Social Affairs. In 2017, Norway had its first female Minister of Foreign Affairs, and now we have two female ministers.”
Ms. Solbakken said that how people perceive female ambassadors may depend on the country we are serving in. This difference depends on the gender role, the role of women in that country.
“Sometimes I will be expected to attend more fashion shows than security policy conferences. People might think I am more interested in what are considered softer issues in diplomacy, such as culture. However, my job is to cover all areas of diplomatic relations, whether it is security, business promotion or culture.
“The first time I went on a business trip abroad, I felt that I was not taken seriously because I was a woman and young. But this gradually became less so. The fact that I am a woman is not really important. I work with my skills and experience. What I can bring to society is what really matters,” Ambassador Hilde Solbakken expressed.
Source
Comment (0)