Vietnam ’s first national association dedicated to protecting the rights of Vietnamese children made its debut in Hanoi on June 10.

A series of strong mechanisms and policies have brought about remarkable gender equality achievements in Vietnam , earning international praise, said an official of the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

Very few nations in the world have the custom of worshipping the mother of the country, as is done in Vietnam . This custom not only reflects the Vietnamese people’s traditional culture and belief but also their gratitude and respect for the loyalty to the ancestors.

Located more than 20km from Cao Bang Township, Cao Bang Province, along road 203, Nuoc Hai Town in Hoa An District has for a long time been famous for the brocade weaving craft. Its products, including bags, shawls, bedspreads, blankets, etc., not only serve in the daily life of local people but also become beautiful souvenirs for tourists.

For the first time, the huge 220KV-transformer, 140 tonnes in weight with nearly one thousand separate parts, was produced by a female Vietnamese engineer.

Sociologists have rung the alarm bell at the current significantly higher rate of male newborns over female newborns in Vietnam

Model-actress Thanh Hang has turned heads and dropped jaws cat-walking her way onto the world stage.

Award-winning artist Thanh Ngoan is renowned for her cheo (traditional opera), xam (folk music) and ca tru (ceremonial singing) performances. Ngoan speaks with Hien Ngoc about her passion for her art and her ideas on preserving Vietnamese culture.

Negative male attitudes towards women have been blamed for the prevalence of domestic violence in Viet Nam.

The cold weather couldn’t keep thousands of pilgrims and tourists away from the Huong Pagoda Festival, the nation’s longest and most elaborate annual festival that opened on February 12 morning in the northern province of Ha Tay.

Ha Long Bay, Mt. Fansipan and Phong Nha Cave have been nominated as “new natural wonders of the world” in the first round of a contest sponsored by the New Wonders organisation.

A meeting was held on February 12 in Me Linh district, northern Vinh Phuc province to mark the 1968th anniversary of the Two Trung Sisters' Uprising.

The US Ford Foundation has granted US $100,000 to a biennial festival in the imperial Hue City which is scheduled for June 3-11.

A festival was held at the Dong Da Park in Dong Da district, Hanoi, on February 11 to mark the 219th anniversary of Ngoc Hoi-Dong Da Victory led by national hero Nguyen Hue.

A special programme combining light effects, music and fashion named “Hanoi – a City of Peace, Hoan Kiem Lake – a Shining Pearl” will be performed at the Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake during the New Year’s Eve.

The mortality rate for mothers has dropped from 95 per 100,000 in 2001 to 80 per 100,000 this year and from 35 per 100,000 to 17 per 100,000 for infants.

A trend in gender imbalance among newborns has risen in many Asian countries, including Vietnam, said Ian Howie, representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam, at a seminar in Hanoi on December 20.

Legislators at the 12th National Assembly said on November 1 that a Family Violence Prevention Law is urgently needed.

Kontum Ko Pang Village in Kon Tum Province has led the area not only in economic and cultural development but also in successfully carrying out new family planning policies.

In the urban centres of Viet Nam, the battle for gender equality has already been waged; for women in Kien Lao Commune, Bac Giang Province, un-muting the feminine voice is a contemporary revolution.

Miss Vietnam Pham Thi Thuy Duong has won the Miss International Image 2007 with a record voting of 65%, under the Miss International Beauty Pageant held in Japan from October 1-15

A training course for speakers from northern provinces and cities on the Gender Equality Law was held from 20 to 21 August, 2007, at the Center for Women and Development (20 Thuy Khue Street, Tay Ho, Ha Noi).

Confucian prudery reigned supreme in Vietnamese classic literature – until Nguyen Du and Ho Xuan Huong came along in the 18th century to spice up the selection.

Having lived in Viet Nam for more than 10 years, Ando Seako is enchanted by Vietnamese lacquer art and has devoted her career to creating work in this medium.

The time has come for people across the world to nominate Ha Long Bay as one of the seven natural wonders of the world via the website http://www.natural7wonders.com/, an official from the Viet Nam Administration of Tourism (VAT) has said in an open letter.

With the support of Health Bridge Canada in Vietnam, the NCFAW has recently organized two training conferences on combining gender with the process of forming and implementing policies and works for the advancement of women.

2006 was the first year implementing the cooperation plan (2006 – 2010) between Health Department and Lao Cai Provincial Women’s Union on preventing malnutrition in children under 5 years old and reproductive health care.

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam on Apr. 27 issued a resolution on women affairs to promote gender quality.

493 deputies from all walks of life were elected to the 12th National Assembly following the country’s May 20 polls, said Elections Council Secretary General Bui Ngoc Thanh, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, announced the poll’s result at a press briefing on May 29, stating that tertiary educated deputies make up the backbone of the new legislature as virtually all hold either graduate or post graduate degrees (62.68 percent and 33.27 percent, respectively).

Speaking at a ceremony in honor of children who behave well toward their parents, President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Pham The Duyet applauded their good behavior, calling them model Vietnamese citizens.