Hanoi (VNA) – The complicated developments of the COVꦐID-19 pandemic have severely impacted the economy and all aspects of social life. The pandemic has threatened the achievements of gender equality of most countries in the world, including Vietnam, said Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha.

Ha made her remarks at a March 18 virtual dialogue of 30 female leaders from the Southeast Asian region and Australia. Taking “empowering women and girls impacted by the COVID-19 in the region” as its theme, the dialogue discussed and assessed the pandemic impacts on the group, thereby offering solutions to empower them. In her speech, the Vietnamese official said in 2021, the Government of Vietnam issued many policies on social insurance and loans, among others, in support of local people and businesses facing COVID-19-induced difficulties, especially women and female workers. According to the deputy minister, female employees who are pregnant or raising children under 6 years old; children infected with the disease or closely contacting a COVID-19 patient; those orphaned due to COVID-19; and children of mothers infected with COVID-19 are eligible to receive additional support at a higher level. In addition, services to prevent and respond to violence against women and children have been enhanced. The Government issued a programme for socio-economic recovery and development in 2022 with the goals of recovery and growth, maintaining effective COVID-19 prevention and control, and ensuring social security and people's lives. This is especially for workers, the poor, and the vulnerable who were heavily affected by the epidemic. The programme includes such specific solutions as opening the economy in association with investment in improving health capacity, disease prevention and control. It also includes ensuring social security and supports for employment and the recovery of enterprises, cooperatives and business households. Further, it includes investing in infrastructure development and institutional, administrative reforms, and business climate improvement. To this end, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has submitted a plan to the Government for the promulgation of a policy on housing rental support for employees. It also proposed further implementation of support policies for COVID-19-hit people, employees and employers. Gender equality is included in these policies to ensure the rights and interests of each gender, contributing to narrowing the gender gap. Currently, Vietnam, like many other countries, is facing the pronounced spread of the Omicron variants, which pose great challenges to the process of economic recovery and development. The variants also threaten the implementation of support solutions targeting affected people and businesses, particularly such disadvantaged groups as female workers in the informal sector and female migrant workers. “We look forward to learning more from other countries to continue researching, proposing, and applying solutions to enhance women's empowerment that are appropriate to the Vietnamese context. We also propose that Australia and ASEAN countries continue to cooperate, increase experience sharing, and support each other in realising gender equality, responding to the pandemic, and developing the economy for a better future for women and girls,” Ha sressed./.