Strengthening the care economy and resilience towards the ASEAN Community beyond 2025

NDO – At the invitation of Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, on the morning of August 23, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and delivered an online speech at the 3rd ASEAN Women Leaders Summit with the theme “Promoting a caring and resilient economy towards the ASEAN Community after 2025”.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Your Excellency Sonesay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic ,

Ladies and gentlemen ,

I would like to sincerely thank Prime Minister Sonesay Siphandone for inviting me to attend and address the Third ASEAN Women Leaders Summit, and appreciate this initiative of His Excellency the Prime Minister, in his role as ASEAN Chair 2024.

This is an opportunity for us to strengthen our determination, define our vision and unite our actions, creating the best possible conditions for women to contribute to strengthening the care economy, promoting self-reliance of each country and of the ASEAN Community.

Dear Prime Minister ,

Ladies and gentlemen ,

The development of each family, society, country, people and the world has important contributions from women. As mothers, wives, workers, entrepreneurs and leaders, women play a central and principal role in building and developing a caring economy. Women are both the rear and the pioneers in improving the quality of life of each family, promoting the sustainable development of society, thereby contributing to building self-reliance for each country and our ASEAN region.

I would also like to share with you about the implementation of Vietnam's national gender equality goals in 2023. 11/20 targets have met and exceeded the targets of the National Strategy on Gender Equality in 2025; 2/20 targets have partially met the targets set for 2030, of which 12 targets achieved better results than in 2022. In 2023, the average number of hours spent on unpaid housework and caregiving by women is 1.8 times that of men, approaching the target set for 2025 of 1.7 times. Vietnam's gender equality index in 2023 ranked 72/146 countries, up 11 places compared to 2022.

Ladies and gentlemen,

President Ho Chi Minh – Hero of national liberation, World Cultural Celebrity of Vietnam affirmed: “If women are not liberated, society is not liberated”. To promote the potential, liberate women’s labor, strengthen the care economy and self-reliance towards the ASEAN Community after 2025, I suggest that we need to continue promoting cooperation with a comprehensive, all-people, and global approach, seeking the effective participation of the whole society, the whole community and the whole region.

In that spirit, I propose that ASEAN countries focus on the following three “strengthenings”:

First , resources come from thinking and vision. There is a need to increase awareness and thinking about the position and role of women – the main participants and also the important beneficiaries of ASEAN’s care and self-reliant economy. There is a need to promote stronger policies to encourage women’s equal participation in all sectors – where women are not only empowered but also fully equipped with the skills, knowledge and institutions to contribute effectively to ASEAN’s care and self-reliant economy.

Second , the driving force comes from innovation and creativity. It is necessary to enhance innovation and creativity, improve the general infrastructure system, both hardware and software, of the care economy, build quality, accessible and affordable care service systems; enhance creativity in providing basic social services, especially medical and health care services for women in poor, remote, border and island areas... At the same time, continue to innovate and improve institutions and policies, integrate appropriate aspects of care work into regional programs, socio-economic development plans of each country and locality on the basis of approaches to promoting gender equality, adapting to population aging, combating climate change, and being consistent with the digital economy, green economy and circular economy.

Third , strength comes from the people and businesses. Accordingly, it is necessary to increase investment in human resource training, vocational training for workers, take advantage of advances in science and digital technology, artificial intelligence to develop and expand the care economy not only within ASEAN but also among ASEAN's development partners. Increase the mobilization of resources from the whole society into the care economy, in which private investment is considered an important factor in developing the care economy. At the same time, strengthen cooperation to protect the legitimate and legal rights and interests of workers participating in the care economy, prevent abuse, exploitation, discrimination and other illegal activities, transnational crimes such as cross-border human trafficking, especially trafficking of women and children.

Vietnam will cooperate closely with ASEAN countries to further promote gender equality and women's empowerment, contributing to the progress and development of a peaceful, stable, prosperous, cohesive, inclusive and tolerant ASEAN Community.

Dear Prime Minister Sonesay Siphandone ,

Dear delegates ,

We are at a pivotal moment for the ASEAN Community as the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 is being translated into concrete Strategic Plans. In a changing global context, the core values ​​of caring and resilience are not only the foundation for sustainable development but also the basis for building an ASEAN Community that is united, strong and united in diversity.

Vietnam will cooperate closely with ASEAN countries to further promote gender equality and women's empowerment, contributing to the progress and development of a peaceful, stable, prosperous, cohesive, inclusive and tolerant ASEAN Community; where every individual, especially women, has the opportunity to develop and contribute to their fullest potential, bringing about an increasingly better life, contributing to the community, society and themselves.

Wishing the 3rd ASEAN Women Leaders Summit a great success!

Thank you very much!

Nhandan.vn

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tang-cuong-nen-kinh-te-cham-soc-va-kha-nang-tu-cuong-huong-toi-cong-dong-asean-sau-nam-2025-post826449.html