Building an equal and safe environment for women and girls in the digital age

Photo caption — The third Run for a Vietnam without violence against women and girls. Photo: Hanh Quyen/VNA

This is the opening activity for the peak communication period in the National Action Month starting from November 15 to December 15 with the theme "Gender equality and safety for women and girls in the digital age".

Gender equality is not only a goal but also a strong driving force for sustainable socio-economic development of each country. Over the years, our Party and State have always identified gender equality as an important political task, demonstrated through the promulgation and improvement of the legal system and policies to promote gender equality, increase the power and position of women and ensure equal rights of individuals in society.

Vietnam's achievements in gender equality have been recognized and highly appreciated internationally. In 2024, Vietnam ranked 72nd out of 146 countries in the Global Gender Equality Index, up 11 places compared to 2022.

The recently published national report on 30 years of implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in Vietnam shows that Vietnam ranked 72nd out of 146 countries in the global gender equality index in 2024. Women account for 46.8% of the workforce, of which the female labor participation rate reached 62.4%. The rate of female National Assembly deputies reached 30.26%, among the highest in the Asia- Pacific region.

The proportion of women participating in management and leadership at all levels has increased every year, demonstrating women's voice and decision-making role, making important contributions to the economy , especially in the fields of startups and the digital economy. On October 25, the 15th National Assembly approved the appointment of Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Tra as Deputy Prime Minister, marking the first time in 80 years that the Vietnamese Government cabinet has had a female Deputy Prime Minister.

In addition, more and more outstanding Vietnamese female entrepreneurs and CEOs are being recognized and honored by international economic forums. Women-owned businesses account for 28.2% of the total number of businesses in the country. Many Vietnamese female entrepreneurs and leaders have been honored at international forums.

In the fields of education and health, the gender gap has been significantly narrowed. The health care system for ethnic minority women and migrant women has been strengthened; support services for victims of gender-based violence have been expanded and significantly improved. Of the eight Millennium Development Goals, Vietnam has achieved three, including the goal of gender equality and women's empowerment.

The above achievements affirm the attention and close direction of the Party and State leaders, the cooperation and participation of all levels, sectors and fields, and the support of international organizations at home and abroad.

In the context of increasingly strong application of science and technology and digital transformation, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation. Science, technology, innovation and digital transformation are identified as key driving forces and top important breakthroughs for rapid and sustainable socio-economic development and enhancement of national competitiveness.

The digital age will create a positive environment for women, youth and girls, providing flexible learning and working opportunities, increased access to educational resources, remote employment, easier access to business opportunities without geographical limitations, and a better balance between work and family. This is also an opportunity for women to strengthen their voices and create a network of connections that can help them expand their awareness, change their working methods, and better assert their roles and positions in work and life.

However, in addition to the opportunities it brings, the digital transformation process also poses risks and challenges. Many people have been affected by violence, exploitation and threats online, being scammed, lured, harassed with prejudiced and insulting words... This situation is becoming more and more sophisticated, more difficult to control, creating new instabilities in society, in which women and girls are still the main victims. According to previous studies by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, of the 89% of children aged 12-17 using the Internet, 87% use the Internet daily, but only 36% of them know how to ensure information security online.

Choosing the theme: “Gender equality and safety for women and girls in the digital age” for this year’s Action Month, the Ministry of Home Affairs wants to send a message about the importance of inter-level and inter-sectoral coordination in implementing gender equality, preventing and responding to gender-based violence in the digital transformation process; about the role and position of women and girls and safety in the digital space.

At the same time, warn about the consequences of violence against women and girls in the digital space, promote community and social actions to protect the safety of women and girls against risks and dangers when accessing online platforms; raise awareness to change gender-unequal concepts, attitudes and behaviors, encourage women to participate actively, proactively, and have safety skills on online platforms, contributing to building a more equal and safer environment in the digital age.

The orange heart logo of the Action Month and orange media products create recognition for the Action Month as well as create a strong impression of joining hands to prevent and respond to violence against women and achieve gender equality.

In order to strengthen gender equality and ensure the safety of women and girls in the digital transformation era, the Ministry of Home Affairs has recently issued digital transformation plans in the sector, implementing many fast, strong and comprehensive measures and policies to apply digital technology in the process of performing public duties, ensuring social security, increasing the capacity to serve people while also saving time and operating costs. Most recently, in August 2025, the Ministry issued a Plan to create data to serve the comprehensive digital transformation of the home affairs sector, including adding specialized databases to directly serve people and businesses.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/xay-dung-moi-truong-binh-dang-an-toan-cho-phu-nu-va-tre-em-gai-trong-ky-nguyen-so-20251110170051038.htm