Vietnam Women's Union

Vietnamese delegation visited Kingdom of Norway

17/10/2006

At the invitation of Norwegian Embassy, the delegation of the National Committee for the Advancement of Vietnamese Women led by Mme. Ha Thi Khiet, member of the Central Party Committee, President of the National Committee for the Advancement of Vietnamese Women together with 12 other members from several departments and agencies visited Kingdom of Norway from 23-29 Sep 2006.

With the aim of studying and learning experiences in boosting gender equality and the advancement of women, the delegation has met and directly worked with related agencies, namely Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Family and Gender Equality, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Inspection Agency for gender equality and anti-discrimination, Norad Organization, Norway Creation Organization, Temporary Admittance Women Supporting Center.

Through visiting and exchanging experiences, the Vietnamese delegation learned that Norway is the country with low population (4.5 millions people) and a developed economy (the average GDP per capita is 60,000 USD). Norway’s Human Development Index (HDI) and the Gender Development Index (GDI) ranks second to none in the world. Life expectancy of Norwegian is 79.5. Norway has also pioneered in global environment issues.

Norway gained a lot of considerable achievements in the field of gender equality and women’s advancement. Norway is the first country that allowed women to participate in election since 1931. Norway’s Gender Equality Law was promulgated since 1979 with articles ensuring the equality development between men and women. The proportion of female members of Parliament is 39.4%. Besides, Norway also has a system of speciality laws and related laws with synchronous and united articles to protect human, especially women’s right.

At present, this country set up an action plan of preventing violent in family and plan of preventing women and children trafficking at national level.

Norway Government committed at international level (through ratifying the CEDAW Convention in 1981) to strictly implement the women’s rights, gender equality and concentrate on the effect of international agencies’ decisions to women. Norway calls for introducing commitments concerning the policies for women into UN’s workshops and graft viewpoints and policies relating gender equality onto the international development strategy.

Also Norway is the country that has a lot of contributions to the Development Fund of the UN.