Vietnam pledges to promote women’s access to justice at UN

A delegation from the Ministry of Home Affairs, led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha, attended the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) in New York from March 9 to 11.

During the general debate, countries discussed emerging challenges in promoting gender equality, particularly ensuring access to justice for women and girls.

Speaking on March 11, Ha stressed that access to justice is not only a fundamental human right but also a crucial foundation for eliminating gender-based violence and discrimination, thereby supporting sustainable development.

She also shared Vietnam’s efforts to strengthen legal frameworks and policies aimed at promoting gender equality and protecting women’s rights and interests.

Vietnam’s Legal Aid Law, which took effect in 2017, expanded eligibility for free legal assistance to include victims of domestic violence, trafficking survivors and disadvantaged minors. Legal aid centres have been established in all provinces and cities nationwide, with more than 62 per cent of legal aid providers being women.

In addition, more than 6,000 facilities and community models providing services to prevent and respond to gender-based violence are operating across the country. These programmes support women and girls, particularly in remote areas, in accessing essential services such as psychological counselling, legal assistance and emergency protection.

Through these initiatives, Vietnam reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Beijing Platform for Action, along with other international human rights commitments.

Ha said Vietnam is continuing to integrate gender equality goals into institutional reforms, the development of a rule-of-law state and sustainable development strategies.

“We are committed to improving gender-sensitive legislation, strengthening the capacity of law enforcement agencies and promoting digital transformation to expand access to justice,” she said, adding that Vietnam also aims to ensure meaningful participation of women in governance and decision-making.

Alongside the high-level debate at CSW70, the Vietnamese delegation also attended ministerial meetings, roundtable discussions and bilateral engagements aimed at enhancing international cooperation on gender equality.

During the event, the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations organised a panel discussion titled “Justice without barriers: empowering women and youth in law and leadership”.

The session, chaired by the spouse of Vietnam’s ambassador to the UN, focused on solutions to improve access to justice and promote women’s participation in legal and leadership roles.

The Commission on the Status of Women is the UN’s largest intergovernmental body dedicated to advancing women’s rights and gender equality, with its annual sessions producing policy recommendations to support member states in achieving sustainable development goals related to women and girls.