This was the content of a meeting, jointly hosted by VWU, Vietnam Association of the Elderly (VAE) and Helpage International (HAI) on 30th Oct 2007 in Hanoi, to implement regulations in the Law on Gender Equality: “Ensuring the inclusion of gender equality in building and implementing the law.”

Addressing the meeting, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy, VWU’s Vice President, expressed her deep appreciation for the efforts of VAE to build the Law of the Elderly. This law represents a real opportunity to ensure and enforce the implementation of what has been promised in the Ordinance of the Elderly, the National Plan of Action on Aging to 2010, and the Government’s commitment to the Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging (MIPAA) in 2002, particularly the directions for action of the VWU in the period 2007 – 2012 for the elderly. VWU’s Vice President said that she expects that HAI, VEA and the Vietnam National Commission on Aging will pay more attention to consideration of gender issues, including gender equality into the Law, contributing to improve, enhance wellbeing of the elderly people, specifically to the elderly women.

At the meeting, almost all the participants said that it is necessary to include gender issues in the Law in order to ensure legal and practical rights, the interests of elderly men as well as elderly women, suitable with their physical and mental health status. Moreover, the drafting committee should include articles related to vulnerable people or people in difficulties such as: single women and elderly women infected with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS. The Law should contain regulations forbidding gender discrimination and ensuring equality in all fields for elderly men and elderly women.

The meeting was VWU’s opening activity in its advocation to include gender equality in the Law. At present, the Law is being circulated to collect ideas and comments for further improvement and finalization to be officially submitted at the third session of the 12th National Assembly in April 2008.

Information Centre - Translated by VWU’s Int’l Relations Dept

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