Ninety-second session

Geneva, 2–20 February 2026

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports submitted by States Parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Replies of Viet Nam to the list of issues and questions in relation to its ninth periodic report *

* The present document is being issued without formal editing.

[Date received: 21 October 2025]

Replies to the list of issues CEDAW/C/VNM/Q/9

1.In 2022, Viet Nam submitted its ninth periodic report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to the CEDAW Committee of the United Nations. With reference to the list of 23 issues and questions raised by the Committee requesting Viet Nam to provide additional information prior to the reporting on the implementation of the CEDAW, Viet Nam hereby submits the replies to the Committee as follows:

Applicability of the Convention

Reply to paragraph 1

2.In the process of drafting and revising legal normative documents, Viet Nam consistently ensures that the enactment of legal documents conforms with the international treaties to which it is a party, including the CEDAW.

3.The provisions of the CEDAW Convention have been incorporated into relevant domestic legal documents, including the Law on Gender Equality, the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Civil Code, the Labour Code, and the Law on Marriage and Family, among others. Therefore, Vietnamese courts do not directly cite the provisions of the Convention. Instead, they adjudicate on cases based on the national legal system, which reflects the principles and obligations of the CEDAW.

Discriminatory laws

Reply to paragraph 2

4.Viet Nam is currently conducting a comprehensive review of the Law on Gender Equality. In the Joint Resolution of the 9th Session of the 15th National Assembly, the National Assembly entrusted the Government with the task of studying and promptly submitting a draft amendment to the Law on Gender Equality.

5.The 2019 Labour Code and its implementing documents set out the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of employees, employers, and employers’ representative organizations in labour relations and other matters directly related to labour relations; the Code also stipulates the retirement age for different groups, ensuring the principle of gender equality and aligning with the socio-economic context of Viet Nam.

6.The 2014 Law on Marriage and Family clearly defines the fundamental principles of the marriage and family regime, ensuring that there is no discrimination against women.

Access to justice

Reply to paragraph 3(a)

7.The 2017 Law on Legal Aid entitles 14 groups to unconditionally and free legal aid, including women who are victims of gender-based violence, trafficking in persons, or discrimination. The amended Law on Prevention and Combat against Human Trafficking (2024) expands the scope of protection to include “persons undergoing the process of identification as victims of human trafficking and accompanying under-18-year-old persons,” in order to ensure human rights and equitable access to protection and support for victims. The Law also introduces more comprehensive support measures for victims of trafficking, including the provision of free legal aid.

Reply to paragraph 3(b)

8.Under Vietnamese law, there is no discrimination between women and men in the recruitment of hotline responders, legal aid providers, or mediators. Any man or woman will receive proper training to perform their duties effectively.

Reply to paragraph 3(c)

9.Viet Nam investigates, prosecutes, and strictly adjudicates acts of gender-based violence. Provisions on compensation and penalties are clearly stipulated in the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented in 2025), the amended Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control (2022), and the Law on Legal Aid (2017). The Supreme People’s Procuracy has compiled data related to crimes against women and children.

Reply to paragraph 3(d)

10.Under Vietnamese law, reconciliation is not prioritized over the prosecution of perpetrators of gender-based violence against women.

Reply to paragraph 3(e)

11.From 2020 to June 2024, the Supreme People’s Procuracy prosecuted 33 corruption cases related to the administration of justice, involving 81 offenders.

National machinery for the advancement of women

Reply to paragraph 4(a)

12.The Viet Nam National Committee for the Advancement of Women, an inter‑sectoral coordinating organization of the Government (established in 1993), has coordinated efforts to address cross-cutting issues related to the advancement of women nationwide. Annually, the Committee issues guidance documents for the activities of Committees for the Advancement of Women at all levels and adopts inspection plans for the implementation of activities for the advancement of women.

Reply to paragraph 4(b)

13.The Committee consists of 18 leaders of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and central government bodies. As of December 2024, the system of Committees for the Advancement of Women has been established in 42 ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, as well as in all 63 provinces and centrally governed cities. Activities for the advancement of women within the former Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the current Ministry of Home Affairs have been carried out in accordance with the guidance of the National Committee for the Advancement of Women.

Reply to paragraph 4(c)

14.The Ministry of Home Affairs (following its consolidation with the former Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in March 2025) is the Government body responsible for implementing state management of gender equality nationwide.

Reply to paragraph 4(d)

15.The Viet Nam Women’s Union is a socio-political organization within the political system. It represents, supports, and protects the legitimate rights and interests of women from all social backgrounds in Viet Nam. The President of the Viet Nam Women’s Union serves as the Vice Chairperson of the National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Viet Nam.

National strategy on gender equality

Reply to paragraph 5(a)

16.Viet Nam has a comprehensive system of policies and laws on gender equality, in which accountability and monitoring mechanisms are stipulated in Article 25 of the Law on Gender Equality and Article 13 of the 2015 Law on Oversight Activities of the National Assembly and People’s Councils. The Government is responsible for submitting an annual report to the National Assembly on the implementation of the national gender equality goals.

17.The Committee for Culture and Social Affairs of the National Assembly is responsible for reviewing draft laws, ordinances, and resolutions of the National Assembly and the Standing Committee of the National Assembly in the field of gender equality. The Committee also reviews the integration of gender equality issues in all draft laws, ordinances, and resolutions before their submission to the National Assembly or its Standing Committee as well as proposes policies related to gender equality. Annually, the Committee for Culture and Social Affairs conducts field surveys in localities and reviews the Government’s report on the implementation of national gender equality goals for submission to National Assembly deputies.

18.The Viet Nam Fatherland Front and the Viet Nam Women’s Union, as non-‍governmental entities within the political system, are responsible for monitoring and providing social critical feedback on the implementation of gender equality policies and laws.

Reply to paragraph 5(b)

19.Strategies and programmes on gender equality approved by the Government and the Prime Minister are funded by the State budget and other lawful mobilized resources for implementation.

Reply to paragraph 5(c)

20.The Government has assigned the Ministry of Home Affairs to take the lead in monitoring, urging and reporting the results of the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations to the Prime Minister. Regarding the procedure of developing legal normative documents, gender mainstreaming is stipulated in the 2025 Law on the Promulgation of Legal Normative Documents and the Law on Gender Equality. Accordingly, gender equality is one of the guiding principles in the drafting of legal normative documents, and all these drafts must be made publicly available to ensure that all individuals and organizations are able to exercise their right to give comments.

Women human rights defenders

Reply to paragraph 6(a)

21.The 2013 Constitution of Viet Nam (amended and supplemented in 2025) stipulates that: “A person accused of a crime shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty in compliance with legal procedures and determined by a legally effective judgment of a court.” The Penal Code includes stipulations about criminal offences and penalties, including provisions on aggravating and mitigating circumstances of criminal liability.

22.The provisions of the 2013 Law on Counter-Terrorism ensure the principle of gender equality and prohibit all forms of gender-based discrimination or stigma.

23.Therefore, these provisions do not hinder the activities of organizations working for women’s rights or of women human rights defenders in accordance with the CEDAW Convention.

Reply to paragraph 6(b)

24.Viet Nam has consistently made efforts to eliminate gender stereotypes. For the first time, the Government issued a communication programme dedicated to gender equality until 2030.

25.Notably, the National Target Programme on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the period 2021–2030 includes a dedicated project on “Promoting Gender Equality and Addressing Urgent Issues for Women and Children,” Project No. 8, with a wide range of communication activities and supports targeting ethnic minority women.

Reply to paragraph 6(c)

26.Viet Nam consistently fosters an enabling environment for organizations working for women’s rights and for women human rights defenders to freely establish and operate. There have been no cases in which competent authorities of Viet Nam harassed, threatened, or arbitrarily detained women human rights defenders, female journalists, or women’s rights activists, as alleged in the submission by KKF. The information provided by KKF regarding the incident that allegedly occurred on International Women’s Day 2023 in Tra Vinh is not factually accurate. Relating to the false accusations and distortions made by certain individuals regarding alleged restrictions by local authorities on the celebration of International Women’s Day (8 March), it can be confirmed that competent authorities did not engage in any acts of harassment, intimidation, arbitrary arrest or detention against of individuals participating in the event.

Gender stereotypes

Reply to paragraph 7

27.In recent years, Viet Nam has adopted various policies and measures to recognize, reduce, and/or redistribute unpaid domestic and care work. The National Action Plan for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development under Target 5.4 identifies the objective of ensuring equality in domestic and family care responsibilities; recognizing unpaid domestic and care work; enhancing public services, infrastructure, social protection policies, family support, and childcare services. The National Strategy on Gender Equality for the period 2021–2030 sets the target of reducing the average number of hours that women spend on unpaid domestic and care work to 1.7 times higher by 2025 and to 1.4 times higher by 2030 compared to that of men. In reality, the time women spend on housework has shown a decreasing trend.

28.Viet Nam has issued the National Set of Gender Development Statistical Indicators. The collection of data on the indicators measuring the average number of hours women spend on unpaid domestic and care work has been mainstreamed and incorporated into the Labour Force Surveys conducted in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024 by the General Statistics Office, the Ministry of Finance.

29.The Prime Minister has approved the Project on “Survey and Data Collection on the Socio-Economic Situation of the 53 Ethnic Minority Groups.” The Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, has conducted the third round of the survey and widely disseminated its results.

30.The project “Communication and Education on the Qualities and Ethics of Vietnamese Women in the Period of Accelerated Industrialization and Modernization” aims to raise awareness, eliminate gender stereotypes, and foster ethical values and a positive lifestyle among Vietnamese women through communication activities, staff training, model development, and mainstreaming into socio-economic development programs.

31.Gender mainstreaming has been incorporated into the textbooks of various subjects under the 2018 General Education Curriculum. Some subjects that prominently reflect this integration include Natural Sciences, Biology, Vietnamese Language, Ethics, and Experiential Activities. Gender content is presented through both textual and visual channels, including book covers and contents, topics, lessons, and the frequency of male and female characters appearing in texts, photographs, and illustrations. The Ministry of Education and Training is implementing the project “Integrating Gender and Gender Equality Education into the Training Programs for Preschool Education Teachers at College and University Level for the Period 2024–2030.

Gender-based violence against women

Reply to paragraph 8

32.Please review the reply to question 3 above for more information.

33.By law, gender-based violence is strictly prohibited in Viet Nam, which is addressed in various legal documents, including the Law on Gender Equality, the Criminal Code, the Labour Code, the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, the Law on Children, and the Law on Prevention and Combat against Human Trafficking. Administrative penalties for acts of gender-based violence within the family are specifically provided for under the 2012 Law on Handling of Administrative Violations (amended in 2022). Decree No. 125/2021/NĐ-CP and Decree No. 144/2021/NĐ-CP elaborate on these provisions and significantly increase the administrative fines manyfold for acts of gender discrimination, domestic violence, and sexual harassment.

34.Viet Nam has established the Family and Juvenile Court as a specialized part of the People’s Court system. This court has jurisdiction over criminal, civil, and administrative cases related to family matters and individuals under the age of 18. Court sessions are conducted in a friendly manner to ensure the rights and interests of children and vulnerable persons.

35.In the process of implementing the functions of prosecution and supervision of judicial activities, the Supreme People’s Procuracy has consistently ensured that all citizens are equal before the law. Preventive measures such as temporary detention or investigative measures such as examination applied to female offenders are implemented strictly in accordance with legal procedures, ensuring fairness and humaneness.

36.Procurators and officials have a high level of awareness of gender equality. The legal rights and interests of women are fully protected, and no cases of violence, particularly sexual violence against female detainees, pre-trial detainees, or inmates have been reported. There have been no instances in which judgments related to violence against women were neglected or left unenforced.

37.Since 2016, Viet Nam has continued to allocate resources to communication efforts aimed at raising awareness on gender equality and preventing and responding to gender-based violence. These efforts include the annual programs such as “National Action Month on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control” and “Action Month for Gender Equality and Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence”, along with a wide range of other diverse communication activities. Annual training sessions are organized for journalists and media professionals on gender equality and the prevention and control to gender-based violence. These training sessions aim to promote a shift in the journalistic approach to writing articles, news, and reports, with a focus on eliminating the stigmatization and victim-blaming of survivors, while ensuring strict adherence to ethical standards in the protection of victims.

38.Viet Nam continues to strengthen awareness-raising communication efforts on gender equality and the prevention and response to gender-based violence, with the aim of gradually eliminating gender stereotypes, the tendency to blame victims, and the culture of silence surrounding cases of gender-based violence.

39.By 2024, Viet Nam had established over 6,000 models and service facilities providing prevention and response services for gender-based violence and domestic violence. These models and facilities offered practical forms of support and were gradually meeting the needs of survivors. 100 per cent of public social protection establishments had provided support to persons in need of emergency protection, including victims of domestic violence, victims of sexual abuse, victims of trafficking, and victims of forced labour, in accordance with regulations. One-stop service centre models supporting women affected by violence, such as the Peace House, the Sunrise House, and the Dandelion model have proven effective and have been under review for replication. Victims had been provided with safe accommodation and meals, psychological counselling, healthcare, life skills education, legal aid upon request, and referral to their families or other victim support facilities. 100 per cent of identified trafficked victims who had returned and required assistance received support services in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Prevention and Combat of Human Trafficking.

40.The Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, adopted by the National Assembly in 2022, takes a human rights-based and survivor-centred approach, amends, and supplements the definitions of domestic violence; proactively promotes prevention through regulations on communication, education of knowledge and skills for domestic violence prevention and response. According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, economic violence ranks third among forms of violence, after physical and emotional violence, and the number of cases has shown a decreasing trend over the years.

Reply to paragraph 9

41.The 2019 Labour Code contains 11 relevant provisions addressing sexual harassment in the workplace and adds a definition of sexual harassment at work; and stipulates the rights and obligations of both employees and employers.

42.In 2015, Viet Nam issued the Code of Conduct on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace to assist employers and employees in Viet Nam in identifying, preventing, and addressing sexual harassment at the workplace through specific and practical guidelines. The Civil Code and the legislation on administrative violations stipulate measures for handling individuals who commit acts of sexual harassment, as well as compensation for damage to dignity, honour, and reputation, depending on the nature and severity of the violation.

Trafficking and women in prostitution

Reply to paragraph 10(a)

43.The Ministry of Public Security has taken the lead and coordinated with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to advise the National Steering Committee 138/CP in issuing a national set of statistical reporting forms on human trafficking prevention and combat. This system includes various data and statistical information related to anti-trafficking efforts (has been applied nationwide since January 2023). The Ministry of Public Security is leading the development and deployment of software and a database on victims of human trafficking, ensuring synchronization with the National Data Centre. The system is expected to be completed by December 2025.

44.The 2024 Law on Prevention and Combat against Human Trafficking contains multiple provisions related to ensuring the implementation of commitments under the CEDAW Convention.

45.According to current legal provisions, victims of trafficking including Vietnamese citizens, stateless persons with permanent residence in Viet Nam and accompanying persons under 18 years old; persons under the victim identification process who are Vietnamese citizens; victims and persons undergoing victim identification who are foreign nationals trafficked in Viet Nam, depending on each case, are entitled to various support regimes and policies, including: Support for basic needs, healthcare, interpretation, legal assistance, legal aid, travel expenses, psychological support, general education, vocational training, counselling, job placement support, initial hardship allowance, and access to concessional loans.

46.Victims of human trafficking are verified and identified in accordance with Decree No. 162/2025/NĐ-CP dated 29 June 2025 by the Government. The decree details and guides the implementation of certain articles and measures of the Law on Human Trafficking Prevention and Control.

47.Decree No. 162/2025/NĐ-CP also assigns the Ministry of Health to provide guidance on the operation of the national telephone hotline for human trafficking prevention and control, using the national short-code hotline (111) for receiving reports and denunciations of human trafficking, and to regulate the responsibilities and procedures for receiving and handling such reports and denunciations.

Reply to paragraph 10(c)

48.On 17 November 2023, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1400/QĐ-TTg approving the Scheme on “Disseminating and communicating laws to workers and employers to meet the requirements of implementing international labour commitments for the period 2023–2030”, with a particular focus on raising awareness of the 2019 Labour Code.

49.Vietnamese law strictly prohibits acts of luring, enticing, making false promises, deceptive advertising, or using other tricks in order to deceive workers or to recruit workers for the purpose of exploitation or forced labour. Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, such acts may be subject to administrative sanctions or criminal prosecution.

Reply to paragraph 10(d)

50.Since 2016, Viet Nam has designated 30 July as the “National Day for Human Trafficking Prevention and Control”.

51.From 2021 to the end of 2023, the police authorities detected and investigated 314 cases involving 761 perpetrators and 683 victims of human trafficking. In 2021 alone, a criminal ring dealing in commercial surrogacy and the trafficking of persons under the age of 16 was dismantled, resulting in the rescue of six victims, including five newborns and one pregnant woman.

52.In 2024, a total of 163 human trafficking cases involving 455 perpetrators and 500 victims were investigated and handled. Among these, 91 new cases involving 237 perpetrators and 336 victims were opened for investigation, while 59 cases involving 169 perpetrators and 150 victims were transferred to the People’s Procuracy for prosecution.

Reply to paragraph 11

53.According to current Vietnamese law, prostitution is considered as an administrative violation, not a criminal offence. Therefore, women and girls engaged in prostitution are not subject to criminalization. Persons involved in prostitution are subject to administrative penalties in the form of warnings or fines. However, individuals aged 18 and above who purchase sex from persons under 18 are subject to criminal prosecution.

54.Relevant authorities have carried out various activities to disseminate the laws related to prostitution prevention and control in order to raise public awareness of prostitution prevention, reduce stigma and discrimination against sex workers, and enhance their access to and utilization of social support services for community reintegration. At the same time, community-based harm-reduction interventions and models have been implemented to strengthen community responsibility and social support for prostitutes. Currently, there are 55 model sites under the Prostitution Prevention and Control Programme for the period 2021–2025, along with other models implemented in various provinces and cities.

Participation in political and public life

Reply to paragraph 12(a)

55.According to the Law on Election of Deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils, the official list of candidates must include at least 35 per cent women at all levels.

56.As a result, the proportion of female deputies in the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels has increased over the last two terms (2016–2021 and 2021–2026) compared to previous terms. In the 15th National Assembly (2021–2026 term), women account for 30.26 per cent of the total deputies (representing a rise of 3.54 per cent compared to the 14th term). It is the highest percentage since the 6th National Assembly (1976–1981) up to now. This is also the second time over the 15 terms of the National Assembly that the rate of female deputies has exceeded 30 per cent. Viet Nam ranks 62nd among 193 countries in terms of the proportion of women in the National Assembly, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s ranking. The proportion of women deputies in People’s Councils at all three levels for the 2021–2026 term is nearly 30 per cent; specifically: 29 per cent at provincial level (an increase of 2.44 per cent compared to the previous term), 29.08 per cent at district level (an increase of 1.58 per cent) and 28.98 per cent at commune level (an increase of 2.39 per cent compared to the previous term).

Reply to paragraph 12(b)

57.Through the implementation of the Programme on “Promoting Equal Participation of Women in Leadership and Management Positions at the Policy-Making Level”, the proportion of women in leadership and management roles in Viet Nam has made the following progress:

58.By May 2025, 13 out of 22 (accounting for 59 per cent) ministerial-level agencies and Government-attached agencies had female top leaders. This figure was 50 per cent in 2022.

59.At the local level: the proportion of provincial-level authorities with female top leaders reached 76 per cent, while at the communal level, the figure was 45.39 per cent. Both figures represent an increase compared to the year 2020.

Reply to paragraph 12(c)

60.In implementing the Scheme “Measures to Ensure Gender Equality for Female Officials, Civil Servants, and Public Employees for the 2016–2020 Period,” the Government introduced specific groups of solutions and assigned relevant agencies with responsibilities for implementation, inspection, and supervision. A dedicated website on female personnel affairs was developed to regularly update news and events related to female leaders across different periods. Many National Assembly Deputies, leaders of non-traditional ministries and sectors, and key leaders at the local level are women and ethnic minority people.

61.Viet Nam has introduced the National Action Programme on Women, Peace and Security for the period 2024–2030, aiming to implement the goals related to women, peace and security in line with the United Nations agenda and international commitments on gender equality, including the CEDAW Convention.

Education

Reply to paragraph 13(a)

62.The Education Law stipulates compulsory education and universalization of preschool education for 5-year-old children and universalization of lower secondary education. The National Assembly has adopted a resolution on tuition fee exemption and support for preschool children, secondary students, and learners of the general education program at educational institutions within the national education system across the country. The Government has been promoting the development and implementation of projects related to sexuality education, life skills, and psychological counselling, with the aim of equipping students with knowledge and skills to understand and take the initiative in communication activities on the importance of education for both boys and girls in schools and communities. These projects promote a respectful and equal environment throughout the school, facilitate and support experiential and career-oriented activities. They also support communication activities and policy advocacy led by students, as well as school counselling and gender-responsive career guidance activities…

63.Local authorities at all levels have actively promoted the implementation of literacy and reliteracy programs, linking them with local campaigns and emulation movements. Notable initiatives include peer-based and group-based literacy models. At the same time, literacy and reliteracy classes with a flexible timetable have been organized for women and girls aged 15 to 35 contributing to an increase in the literacy rate among ethnic minority women.

Reply to paragraph 13(b)

64.Viet Nam has implemented the model “Champions of Change” Club in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, with 2,083 clubs established and maintained, engaging 128,195 children. The model aims to promote the role, voice, and participation of the local girls in activities that advance children’s rights and gender equality in educational and training settings, families, and communities where children live and study. In addition, activities to promote girls’ participation have been carried out through the organization of contests and forums.

Reply to paragraph 13(c)

65.Viet Nam has also implemented the project “Promoting the Participation of Girls and Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)” with the aim of raising awareness of STEM, inspiring interest among girls and women, and providing scholarships to outstanding students pursuing STEM majors. The project also honours female scientists in the field of natural sciences.

Employment

Reply to paragraph 14

66.State policies on female workers and the assurance of gender equality are specifically stipulated as follows: Ensuring the equal rights of female and male workers, implementing measures to promote gender equality and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. Encouraging employers to facilitate regular employment for both female and male workers, and to widely apply flexible working arrangements, part-time work, and home-based work. Measures have been taken to generate employment, improve working conditions, enhance professional skills, provide healthcare services, and strengthen both the material and spiritual welfare of female workers in order to help them effectively promote their professional capacity and harmonize their working life with family life. There are tax incentive policies for employers who employ a large number of female workers in accordance with the provisions of tax law. The State has plans and measures to organize nurseries and kindergartens in areas with a large number of workers. Diversifying training modalities to enable female workers to acquire alternative occupations that are suitable for their physical characteristics, physiology, and maternal functions.

67.In addition, the 2019 Labour Code stipulates the responsibilities of employers towards female workers and ensures gender equality.

68.The 2019 Labor Code stipulates provisions on equal pay between men and women: “Employers must ensure equal pay, without gender discrimination, for employees performing work of equal value.”

69.The Labor Code, Law on Occupational Safety and Health, and their guiding documents contain specific provisions for female employees, including regulations on maternity protection, maternity leave, menstrual leave, and for raising a child under six months of age, as well as regulations on occupations and specialized gynaecological examinations for female workers.

70.The Labor Code stipulates a roadmap for a gradual increase in the retirement age for both men and women each year to narrow the gap. The Law on Teachers, the Law on Social Insurance, and other legal documents also contain specific provisions on the retirement age for special occupations and a more favourable calculation of pension entitlement rates for female employees compared to men to ensure their rights.

Health

Reply to paragraph 15

71.On ensuring full access to sexual and reproductive health services:

•Viet Nam has promulgated the Viet Nam Population Strategy to 2030 and the National Strategy on Protection, Care and Improvement of People’s Health for the period up to 2030 with a vision to 2045. These strategies include the key task of improving maternal, newborn, and child health, reducing the rate of children with disabilities, and prioritizing ethnic minority and mountainous areas, border and island regions, and other disadvantaged areas in order to narrow the disparities in health, nutrition, and maternal and child mortality indicators among regions.

72.+ The National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021-2030, Phase I: from 2021 to 2025, includes Project 7 on People’s health care, improving the physical strength and stature of ethnic minorities; preventing malnutrition in children.

73.- Regarding education on reproductive rights and health: The government has developed a set of documents on controlling the imbalance of sex ratio at birth. The documents are used in extracurricular experiential and career guidance activities at lower secondary schools and upper secondary schools.

74.- Contents related to family planning (FP) have been developed and mainstreamed into socio-economic development plans, programs, and projects. Additionally, communication and advocacy activities have been promoted to suit the demographic trends, socio-economic conditions, and cultural characteristics of each region and target group.

75.- The Government has focused on allocating resources, providing medical equipment, and training personnel to consolidate the network of family planning service providers. This is to ensure that district-level health facilities can provide a full range of family planning services, while commune-level health facilities offer just basic family planning services. Expanding access and use of adolescent-friendly reproductive and sexual healthcare services. Popularizing the provision of pre-marital counselling and health check-ups, including reducing child and consanguineous marriages.

76.According to the results of the Population Change Survey as of April 1, 2023, the rate of modern contraceptive use among married women aged 15-49 has increased from 41.3 per cent in 1993 to 70.3 per cent in 2023. Of the total of nearly 6.47 million never-married females aged 15-29, 55.5 per cent had access to family planning information (51.7 per cent in rural areas and 60.0 per cent in urban areas). According to the Results of the Survey on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators on Children and Women in Viet Nam 2020–2021, the contraceptive prevalence rate among married women aged 15–49 was 63.2 per cent in the Northern mountainous areas and midlands, and 69.2 per cent among women of the Tày, Thái, Mường, and Nùng ethnic groups.

Economic empowerment of women

Reply to paragraph 16

77.Viet Nam is promoting measures to enhance women’s economic empowerment. The percentage of female directors and owners of enterprises and cooperatives accounts for 28.2 per cent.

78.Organizing communication and training activities on business and production knowledge, stepping up domestic trade promotion, and fostering cooperation with foreign organizations to support female entrepreneurs in expanding cross-border markets.

79.Decree No. 41/2010/NĐ-CP dated 12 April 2010 was replaced by Decree No. 55/2015/NĐ-CP dated 9 June 2015 and Decree No. 116/2018/NĐ-CP dated 7 September 2018 of the Government on credit policies for agricultural and rural development. The decrees have provisions on the maximum unsecured loan amount available to individuals, households, partnerships, and cooperatives. The provision on the submission of Certificate of Land Use Rights to lending credit institutions applies to various economic sectors and different groups of clients, including women, with the aim of increasing borrowers’ responsibility while preventing the abuse of the policy to obtain loans from multiple credit institutions. The number of loans depends on the needs of enterprises rather than on any limitations imposed by legal provisions.

80.Regarding the enhancement of women’s access to credit: The State Bank of Viet Nam signed a coordination programme with the Viet Nam Women’s Union to implement the National Financial Inclusion Strategy to 2025, with a vision to 2030. To date, 45 out of 63 provinces and centrally governed cities have signed cooperation documents, facilitating women’s access to formal financial services.

81.Viet Nam is implementing various preferential policies for women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), such as preferential loan interest rates and opportunities to access government support policies.

Rural women

Reply to paragraph 17

82.The Government promulgated the National Target Programme on New Rural Development for the 2021–2025 period, in which rural women are both key participants in building new rural areas and beneficiaries of the outcomes of this national target programme.

83.According to the Viet Nam Women’s Union, women account for 80 per cent of the workforce in agricultural cooperatives. The proportion of women working in agriculture is 63.4 per cent, compared to 57.5 per cent for men. The role of rural women has been clearly demonstrated in the process of establishing, managing and operating, directly engaging in production and business activities, as well as participating in other activities of cooperatives.

84.Viet Nam strictly prohibits wage discrimination for work of equal value; however, actual income depends on job position, work experience, qualifications, and skills.

85.The 2013 Land Law stipulates that the Certificate of Land Use Rights must bear the names of both husband and wife in cases where the property is jointly owned. The certificates bearing the woman’s name account for 64 per cent of the total certificates issued to households, married couples, and individuals.

86.The Government has introduced policies on vocational training for rural workers, with women as a priority group for receiving vocational training support. Decree No. 156/2025/NĐ-CP increases the maximum amount of unsecured loans for individuals, households, cooperative groups, household businesses, cooperatives, unions of cooperatives, and farm owners from VND 300 million to VND 5 billion.

Reply to paragraph 18

87.Current legal provisions, including the 2024 Land Law and the 2014 Law on Marriage and Family, ensure that the ownership and use rights of common property – including land use rights – of both husband and wife are equal, with both names recorded on the land use right certificate. This provision also helps protect the rights of women, especially rural and ethnic minority women, in gaining fair and sustainable access to and use of land. At present, Viet Nam’s civil and civil procedure legal system has no legal barriers preventing women from initiating lawsuits to protect their lawful rights and interests related to land. Although there are no separate statistics on court cases filed by women related to land access and ownership rights, competent authorities are continuing to foster the collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated data to serve policymaking and to assess the implementation of women’s rights in this area.

88.In implementing the 2024 Land Law, 15.68 million certificates of land use right have been issued bearing the names of women.

89.Vietnamese law makes no gender discrimination, both men and women have equal rights in land allocation, land lease, issuance of land use right certificates, and compensation upon land recovery in accordance with legal provisions.

90.Vietnamese law strictly prohibits gender-based violence. Clause 2, Article 20 of the 2013 Constitution (as amended and supplemented in 2025) clearly stipulates: “ No one shall be arrested without a decision of a People ’ s Court, a decision or approval of a People ’ s Procuracy, except in cases of in flagrante delicto (flagrant offence). The arrest, detention, or holding of persons shall be prescribed by law.”

91.Regarding the case in the document submitted by KKF: The information that Vietnamese authorities used armed forces to beat and arrest Khmer farmers and seize the land they were cultivating is untrue. Upon investigation, the competent authorities of Viet Nam handled the case and addressed violations of the law committed by these individuals in a strict, objective manner, ensuring that the right persons were held accountable for the right offences, in accordance with the law. There was no beating or unlawful seizure of land from the people..

Women and girls belonging to ethnic and religious minorities

Reply to paragraph 19

92.The Government has implemented the Scheme on “Reducing Early marriage and Consanguineous Marriage in Ethnic Minority Areas” for the 2015–2025 period and issued the roadmap for implementing Viet Nam’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, with Target 5.3 aiming to limit and move towards eliminating harmful practices such as early marriage and forced marriage.

93.The implementation results show that the early marriage rate among ethnic minority people has decreased by approximately 1 per cent per year on average.

94.The 2014 Law on Civil Status and its implementing instruments stipulate that all individuals residing in the territory of Viet Nam are guaranteed to have their nationality determined or be considered for naturalization as Vietnamese citizens if they fully meet the conditions prescribed by law, without discrimination.

95.The 2013 Constitution (as amended and supplemented in 2025) stipulates: “All persons are equal before the law; no one shall be discriminated against in political, civil, economic, cultural, or social life” (Article 16). “All persons have the right to freedom of belief and religion, to follow or not to follow any religion. All religions are equal before the law; the State respects and protects the right to freedom of belief and religion; no one shall be allowed to violate the freedom of belief and religion or abuse belief and religion to violate the law” (Article 24). “Gender-based discrimination is strictly prohibited” (Clause 3, Article 26).

96.On this occasion, Viet Nam requests the Committee to respect the official terminology for ethnic minorities in Viet Nam in accordance with national legislation. The term “Montagnards” had been disparagingly used by foreign colonialists of previous centuries to collectively refer to all ethnic minorities living in central highlands of Viet Nam, along with other words describing them as “barbaric” – despite the fact that there have been dozens of different ethnic minorities living in the region, and that each and every one of them deserve respect. To ensure respect for these communities’ dignity and diversity, the term is no longer used in modern day Viet Nam. We categorically reject the use of this term in formal UN documents such as this report. For other terms referring to other ethnic minorities in Viet Nam, we strongly recommend that the Committee use official terms when referring to ethnic minorities residing in Viet Nam. These terms are recommended by the ethnic communities living in Viet Nam themselves and officially recognized by the authorities. They should be referred to precisely as the “Mong” (or “Mông” in Vietnamese alphabet) and the “Khmer”.

97.In Viet Nam, 54 ethnic communities have been living together in harmony and unity for millennia, joining hands in defending our nation against foreign aggression and developing the country, together realizing Vietnamese people’s right of determination, freely determining our political status and freely pursue our economic, social and cultural development. There are no indigenous people in Viet Nam, according to the broad understanding and the parameters of this term provided in several international treaties and UN documents. Therefore, Viet Nam requests the Committee not to use the term “indigenous women”, “indigenous girls” and to reconsider the recommendations contained in paragraphs 6, 12 and 13.

98.Viet Nam’s consistent policy is to ensure equality and solidarity and foster mutual respect among 54 ethnic communities for common progress. All ethnic communities, regardless of historical background, population size or level of development, are treated equally in terms of rights and duties in all areas of life, as guaranteed by the Constitution and the law. Together with all human and citizen’s rights, ethnic minorities enjoy privileges as provided by law, especially related to the conservation and promotion of their traditional cultural values, spoken and written languages, and custom.

99.Women from ethnic minority groups in general, and ethnic minority women of Catholic or Protestant faith in the Central Highlands, as well as Khmer Buddhist women in particular, have always received attention and support from authorities and mass organizations at all levels. They are provided with every opportunity to develop equally in terms of economic status and political participation rights, and to enjoy the right to follow any legally recognized religion or to follow no religion at all. Their children are equal before the law from birth, facilitated in obtaining birth certificates, ensured their legitimate rights and interests, and given opportunities to attend school. To date, the competent authorities of Viet Nam have not received any complaints or denunciations from citizens regarding harassment, intimidation, deprivation of rights against ethnic minority women, or the failure to issue birth certificates to children of ethnic minorities..

Women who use drugs

Reply to paragraph 20

100.In Viet Nam, there are no “centres for rehabilitation of dignity” and no provisions on compulsory rehabilitation of dignity. Under the amended 2025 Criminal Code, criminal prosecution for the illicit use of narcotic substances is applied only in specific cases, without gender-based distinction. Therefore, women and girls who use narcotic substances are not subject to arbitrary detention but must be dealt with in accordance with specific provisions of the law.

101.The management of illicit drug users is a preventive measure aimed at helping them cease the illicit use of narcotic substances and preventing them from committing violations of the law. The measure of managing illicit drug users is not an administrative sanction; it is implemented within the community, and its application does not deprive drug users of their liberty..

102.Clause 2, Article 20 of the 2013 Constitution (as amended and supplemented in 2025) clearly stipulates: “ No one shall be arrested without a decision of a People ’ s Court, a decision or approval of a People ’ s Procuracy, except in the case of in flagrante delicto (flagrant offence). The arrest, detention, and holding of a person shall be prescribed for by law.”

103.Under the provisions of the 2021 Law on Drug Prevention and Control, public drug rehabilitation establishments must arrange the following areas: Temporary accommodation area for persons proposed for verification of drug addiction status and for those during the preparation of dossiers for the application of the administrative handling measure of consignment into compulsory drug rehabilitation establishments; compulsory drug rehabilitation area; voluntary drug rehabilitation area; Drug rehabilitation area for persons from full 12 to under 18 years of age; Drug rehabilitation area for persons with Group-A or Group-B infectious diseases in accordance with the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases; The rehabilitation area for persons who commit acts of disturbing public order or violating the rules and regulations of drug rehabilitation establishments.

104.In the above-mentioned areas, separate sections for males and females must be arranged. Persons whose physical sex differs from the gender recorded in their records or personal files shall be accommodated in separate rooms within the section corresponding to their physical sex.

105.In Viet Nam, drug prevention and control campaigns have helped raise awareness among women and girls about the dangers of drugs, particularly in high-risk areas.

Climate change and disaster risk reduction

Reply to paragraph 21

106.Viet Nam mainstreams gender into environmental policies as stipulated in the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 (amended and supplemented in 2022).

107.The National Climate Change Strategy to 2050 has proposed solutions corresponding to specific tasks, including “ensuring social security and gender equality.”

108.Viet Nam has issued the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the period 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050, emphasizing the need to promote gender equality, specifically to “enhance capacity, develop female human resources, and promote gender equality in climate change adaptation.”

109.The Government has also promulgated the National System for Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Change Adaptation Activities, which includes a monitoring indicators related to: the number of vulnerable persons affected by climate change; the proportion of women in areas vulnerable to climate change impacts who have received vocational training and livelihood transition support; the proportion of women in areas vulnerable to climate change impacts who have received soft skills training on climate change adaptation and natural disaster prevention.

Marriage and family relations

Reply to paragraph 22

110.Under the provisions of the 2014 Law on Marriage and Family, the conditions for marriage between a man and a woman are as follows: the man must be at least 20 years old, and the woman must be at least 18 years old; marriage must be voluntarily decided by both the man and the woman.

111.The Program on Expanding Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment for Certain Prenatal and Neonatal Diseases and Disorders through 2030 has set out measures for communication, advocacy, and social mobilization to address early marriage and consanguineous marriage.

112.On 3 June 2025, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly approved the Ordinance Amending and Supplementing Article 10 of the Ordinance on Population regarding the rights and obligations of each married couple and individual in implementing family planning and reproductive health care, specifically: (1). The decision on the timing of childbirth, the number of children, and the spacing between births in accordance with the age, health status, education, labour, work, income, and child-rearing conditions of the married couple or individual, on the basis of equality. (2). Protecting health, implementing measures to prevent reproductive tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, and carrying out other measures related to reproductive health care.

113.The Law on Population has been included by the National Assembly in the 2025 Legislative Program and is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for discussion and approval at its 10th session (October 2025), with numerous new provisions in line with the current context.

Reply to paragraph 23

114.The 2022 Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control includes provisions related to child custody, as stipulated in Point g, Clause 1, Article 3 as follows: “ Obstructing the exercise of rights and obligations in family relationships between grandparents and grandchildren; between parents and children; between husband and wife; and between siblings is considered an act of domestic violence. ”;

115.In addition, one of the principles for domestic violence prevention and control as stipulated by the Law is: ensuring the best interests of children; giving priority to the protection of the lawful rights and interests of domestic violence victims who are pregnant women, women raising a child under 36 months of age, the elderly, people with disabilities, and people who are unable to take care of themselves; implementing gender equality.

116.The 2022 Law on Prevention and Control of Domestic Violence also stipulates that judges, jurors, court clerks, prosecutors, investigators, commune police officers, village heads, and neighbourhood group leaders shall receive training in knowledge and skills on domestic violence prevention and control and promoting gender equality in domestic violence prevention and control.