Promoting gender mainstreaming in post-war mine clearance efforts.

On the morning of March 30th, in Hanoi, the Vietnam National Mine Action Center (VNMAC), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), organized a workshop titled "Integrating Gender into Post-War Mine Action Activities in Vietnam".

Báo Tin Tức•30/03/2026

Photo caption — Members of the MAG Mine Advisory Group conduct mine clearance operations in Dai Trach commune ( Quang Tri province). (Illustrative photo: Ta Chuyen/VNA)

Attending the workshop were representatives from the Ministry of National Defence , VNMAC, UNDP, various ministries, departments, and localities, as well as embassies, international organizations, and experts from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Mine Clearance (GICHD), and international delegates from Laos, Lebanon, and Colombia.

This is one of the activities under the Project to Enhance Women's Participation in Peacekeeping and Security Activities, funded by the Canadian Ministry of Defence through a military training cooperation program.

The workshop served as a forum for exchanging practical experiences and held significant meaning as it took place just before the International Day for Action on Mines (April 4th) with the theme "Investing in Peace, Investing in Mine Action".

In his opening remarks at the workshop, Colonel Nghiem Xuan Long, Deputy General Director of VNMAC, emphasized that addressing the consequences of landmines and unexploded ordnance is not only a technical task aimed at removing landmines and unexploded ordnance left over from the war, but also an important part of ensuring human safety and serving socio-economic development.

Colonel Nghiem Xuan Long affirmed: A people-based approach, ensuring that no one is left behind, is a guiding principle in Vietnam's mine clearance action program. Vietnam's mine survey, clearance, and accident risk education and support for mine victims all aim to ensure that women, men, children, people with disabilities, and vulnerable groups have equal access to services, benefit from development, and participate in the decision-making process.

According to Colonel Nghiem Xuan Long, although models with women as the core in accident prevention education have proven to be clearly effective, Vietnam still needs to make more efforts to ensure the genuine and effective participation of women, so that vulnerable groups have equal access to the benefits of this work.

Appreciating Vietnam's progress, Ms. Ramla Khalidi, Resident Representative of UNDP in Vietnam, mentioned the irreplaceable role of women and quoted an important message proven by global practice: "When women are fully involved, results are significantly improved." She emphasized that women bring many important expertises such as technology, digital mapping, public administration, community leadership, etc., thereby helping to improve the quality of all stages of mine clearance action, improve data accuracy, and make decisions that truly reflect the needs of the entire community.

At the workshop, Ms. Jean Munro, a GICHD expert, presented the key findings of the draft Assessment Report on Gender Mainstreaming and Diversity in Post-War Mine Action in Vietnam. The report was developed to support managers and partners in ensuring that mine action programs are not only technically effective but also inclusive, meeting the needs of all stakeholders.

Delving into the research findings, the draft report acknowledges significant progress Vietnam has made, such as strengthening the national standards system, enhancing coordination, and issuing the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security. However, the report also points out areas requiring practical improvement, particularly emphasizing the need for more effective data utilization in decision-making and promoting inclusiveness.

Based on these analyses, the Report outlined a clear three-step roadmap: Developing a National Action Plan on Gender in Mine Action; Strengthening women's participation in all roles, especially technical and leadership roles, rather than just support roles; and Enhancing community outreach in a more inclusive and accessible manner.

Evaluating research findings and refining recommendations at this workshop will ensure that the findings accurately reflect real-world needs, thereby creating a solid foundation for effectively integrating gender perspectives into the National Program for Post-War Mine Action 2026-2045.