The Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, in collaboration with the Vietnam Women’s Union and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, held a workshop on promoting gender equality in the public sector on June 6 in Hanoi.

Since 2020, through its Aus4Skills program, the Australian Government has supported the Center for Gender and Women’s Leadership Studies and the University of New South Wales in conducting a study on enhancing leadership opportunities for women in politics and public administration in Vietnam. The study recommended developing a comprehensive set of indicators to measure gender equality in personnel processes, including recruitment, planning, training, rotation, evaluation and appointments.

Building on this, a research group comprising the Center for Gender and Women’s Rights Studies (formerly the Center for Gender and Women’s Leadership Studies) under the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the University of Technology Sydney, with support from the Australian Government via the Vietnam–Australia Center (VAC), developed the Gender Equality Index for the Public Sector. The index serves as a comprehensive tool to assess women’s participation and leadership roles in Vietnam’s public sector, while identifying both barriers and opportunities for policy change.

Opening the workshop, Associate Professor Dr. Duong Trung Y, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, emphasized that the index is a breakthrough tool that helps identify challenges and promote gender equality in personnel work, thus contributing to the development of a stronger contingent of female leaders within the political system.

It also supports the implementation of the Party’s policies and the State’s laws on gender equality, as well as the realization of sustainable development goals.

“We are committed to incorporating the research findings and the index into our training programs and policy studies to promote substantive gender equality in the public sector,” Dr. Duong stressed.

Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, Vice President of the Vietnam Women’s Union, noted that gender equality in the public sector is a critical and cross-cutting issue, as it directly relates to policymaking and implementation. Ensuring female representation in leadership and management positions is a key indicator in measuring the global gender gap and is a priority for many countries. The Vietnam Women’s Union will continue to support and build the capacity of female officials, especially newly appointed leaders and those from ethnic minority communities, to step into leadership roles across the political system.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Gillian Bird underlined the importance of the index, stating that the Australian Government is proud to support cooperation between the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Australian research institutions. These efforts indicate the shared commitment of both countries to gender equality, promoting women’s leadership, advancing women’s economic empowerment, and addressing gender-related challenges.

These areas have also been highlighted in both nations’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The index, she said, marks an important starting point in enhancing transparency and accountability in Vietnam’s gender equality commitments and provides a foundation for the country’s broader economic development ambitions.

At the workshop, participants emphasized that the public sector, central to state management and public service delivery, must take the lead in advancing gender equality. Building a fair, safe, and gender-bias-free workplace in public agencies is a key measure of institutional quality and administrative effectiveness.

Domestic and international leaders, policymakers, experts and scholars also shared insights on achievements and challenges in promoting gender equality in Vietnam’s public sector, along with international experience, particularly from Australia, a leading country in promoting gender equality and developing progress-tracking indicators in the public sector.

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