Promoting gender equality in environmental protection

Environmental pollution has become one of the biggest challenges facing Vietnam and many countries in the world. Each year in Vietnam, about 1.8 million tons of plastic waste is discharged into the environment while only less than a third of it is recycled. The plastic consumption index per capita has also increased 5 times from 1990 to date.

The amount of daily-life solid waste generated in urban areas nationwide increases in average by 10 to 16% per year. The drainage system in urban areas can meet only 60% of the actual needs. There are many other environmental problems that are directly affecting the quality of life and people's health, hindering the national sustainable development goals.

Seminar "Promoting gender equality in environmental protection"

As shared by VWU Vice President Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Huong at the seminar, women are subject to negative impacts of environmental pollution, and at the same time they are active actors in environmental protection and climate change adaptation. Up to now, gender and environment have become a concern nationally and internationally because the linkage between these two factors and gender equality has become to some extent an approach in developing and implementing environmental interventions. Viet Nam is committed to gender equality and the Paris agreement implementation, and made a  commitment on the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in July 2020. The National Environmental Protection Strategy by 2030, vision by 2050 also identifies one of the solution is "To raise awareness of gender equality and children's rights in the environment area; to strengthen the role and position of women in environmental protection".

Environmental protection is one of VWU’s key tasks which has been carried out for many terms through the campaign “Building a family of 5 without-s and 3 clean-s (1)”, the target National Program on new rural areas, the movement "Solutions for plastic waste" and the Government's project "Growing a billion trees between 2021 and 2025", etc.

WUs and women throughout the country growing trees

The campaign "Building a family of 5 without-s and 3 clean-s " has made significant contribution to the National Target Program on New Rural Building with 13 million families having achieved the criteria of "5 without-s and 3 clean-s ", and nearly 17,000 works of environmental protection and climate change adaptation accomplished by women's groups. Local WUs are also active in waste collecting, sorting and treating, reducing and recycling plastic waste and planting trees.

The model on reducing plastic waste of women in Don Chau commune, Duyen Hai district, Tra Vinh province

At the seminar, VWU Vice President Nguyen Thi Minh Huong emphasized that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but also a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. She also expressed VWU’s desire to get connected with the organizations and individuals active in the field of gender and environment.