THE PRIME SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM ------Independence - Freedom - Happiness ------No.: 1696/QĐ-TTg Hanoi, October 02, 2015

DECISION

APPROVING THE NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON GENDER EQUALITY FOR THE PERIOD OF 2016 - 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Government organization dated December 25, 2001; Pursuant to the Law on Gender Equality dated 29 November 2006; Pursuant to Decree No. 48/2009 / ND-CP of the Government dated May 19, 2009 on measures to ensure gender equality; Pursuant to Decision No. 2351 /QD-TTg of the Prime Minister dated December 24, 2010, approving the national strategy on gender equality for the period of 2011-2020; At the proposal of the , War Invalids and Social Affairs, DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the national program of action on gender equality for the period of 2016- 2020 (hereafter referred to as the Program) with the following major contents: I. PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES 1. Overall objective: Narrowing the gaps regarding gender and enhancing the status of women in some sectors, industries, regions and localities where gender inequalities exist or there is high risk of gender inequalities, contributing to the successful implementation of the National Strategy on Gender equality for the period of 2011-2020. 2. Specific objectives: - 70% of cadres, civil servants, officers, labourers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers, people in armed forces and students at all levels; 50% of citizen in the residential clusters are communicated to raise awareness about gender equality; -100% staff working on gender equality and advancement of women, policy makers at all levels and collaborators on gender equality are trained to update their knowledge on gender equality; - Targeting for 100% female elected representatives, female managers, female leaders at all levels and female cadres who are planned to take management role (from division-level upwards) equipped with knowledge on gender equality and management and leadership skills; - Targeting to have 100% people in need of support on gender equality to have access to at least one counseling service or support on gender equality. II. SUBJECTS Government agencies, political organizations, socio-political organizations, socio-political- professional organizations, social organizations, socio-professional organizations, economic organizations, the people's armed forces, families and all people nationwide.

III. MAJOR ACTIVITIES OF THE PROGRAMME 1. Communication to improve the awareness and change the behavior regarding gender equality -To improve communication capacity on gender equality for the media, reporters, journalists, editors, collaborators and communications officers at grassroots level; develop a pilot model for the implementation of the Gender Indicators in Communication in a number of press agencies. - To broaden the implementation of different forms of communication on raising the awareness of gender equality appropriate with the characteristics of different groups and residential areas in the form of culture, art and other forms; Piloting the integration of gender equality into the activities of clubs at the commune and ward level and in schools, enterprises and industrial zones in some localities; to initiate, maintain and develop a variety of communication programs and products on gender equality in all fields of social life, focusing on information programs at grassroots level; To organize media campaigns to engage men and boys in promoting gender equality, sharing family responsibilities, and eliminating gender inequalities in the community and society. - To implement the "Month of Action for Gender Equality and Gender-based Violence Prevention and Control" from 15 November to 15 December annually with the following main activities: Communication for the month of action; promote and reward individuals and collectives with outstanding achievements in gender equality, for the advancement of women and the prevention of gender-based violence. - To conduct studies and surveys on social awareness of gender equality.

2. Strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of state management on gender equality - Capacity building for staff, collaborators working on gender equality and for the advancement of women at all levels and policymakers: developing training programs and training materials for enhancing professional knowledge on gender equality and gender mainstreaming; organize short- term and long-term training; regular training; and experience-sharing session. - Improve the effectiveness of statistical work and reporting on gender disaggregated data in different areas: review and revise the National gender development indicators; organize training on data collection, synthesis, analysis skills and use of gender disaggregated data in all areas. 3. Capacity building for female elected representatives at all levels, female managers, female leaders at all levels, female cadres who are planned to take management role - Periodically conduct survey and assessment of the situation of female managers and leaders from central to local levels; timely propose measures and policies related to the mobilization of resources, planning, training and appointment of female cadres, including National Assembly parliamentarians and People's Council representatives at all levels. - To strengthen capacity of advisory bodies in planning and organizing the implementation of policies directly affecting the work of female cadres. - To extend the scope and content of capacity building activities for managers, leaders at all levels and capacities of cadres who are planned to be in management positions or leaders in State management agencies and non-business units as a basis for their participation in Party committees, elected bodies and socio-political organizations.

- To support the implementation of gender mainstreaming in the election activities for the members of the Election Councils at all levels. - To develop training materials and organize training to update knowledge on gender equality appropriate with specific target groups. - To organize seminars, conferences and dialogues on mainstreaming gender equality in management and leadership. - To regularly review and study the regulations and policies applicable to female cadres and propose areas that need to be amended and supplemented to meet the requirements of socio- economic development in each period.

4. Develop the Target Program on supporting the development of social assistance system for the period of 2016-2020, including the support to the implementation of national gender equality targets.

5. Encourage ministries, sectors, localities and organizations to develop and implement models for increasing the participation of women and promoting gender equality in areas with high risk of gender inequality such as revision of local norms to ensure the principles of gender equality are met, the model "Club of female workers living in the inns" in industrial parks and export- processing zones; the model "Applying the principles of empowering women in gender equality" in enterprises; Social centers provide services on gender equality and other models in accordance with the actual situation and the trend of international integration.

IV. MEASURES FOR IMPLEMENTATION 1. Strengthen the leadership of the Party committees and the government regarding issues on gender equality and for the advancement of women. Put gender equality targets into 5-year and annual socio-economic development plans at central and local levels. Maintain effective implementation of reporting mechanisms and regular communication to leaders at all levels on gender equality. 2. Promote information dissemination, communication, and education to change the awareness, action and responsibility for the implementation of gender equality among cadres, civil servants, officials, labourers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers, people in armed forces, students at all levels and the citizen. Regularly monitor, inspect and timely handle activities and products of culture and information bearing gender bias. 3. Enhance the mobilization of resources from organizations and individuals domestically and abroad for the implementation of the Program and the efficient use of resources mobilized. 4. Enhance specialized and inter-agency examination and inspection on the implementation of gender equality activities and detection of violation of the law on gender equality. Improve the capacity of specialized inspectors on gender equality from central to local levels. 5. Promote scientific research and expand international cooperation on gender equality.

V. FINANCING THE PROGRAM The financial allocation for the implementation of the Program is from below sources: - The state budget (development investment and non-business budget) shall be included in the annual budget estimates of the ministries, branches, central agencies and localities; Target Program on supporting the development of social assistance system for the period 2016 - 2020 in accordance with the law on state budget; - Funding, aid, mobilization from society and community; - Other legal sources.

Article 2. Organize the program implementation 1. The , War Invalids and Social Affairs shall take the leading role in coordinating with concerned agencies in organizing the implementation of the program nationwide with the following responsibilities: a) To guide the ministries, agencies, organizations and provincial People's Committees in developing plans for the implementation of the Program. b) Assume prime responsibility for implementing the "Month of Action for Gender Equality and Gender-based Violence Prevention and Control". c) Study, propose and apply policies and programs to enhance the role and participation of women in all aspects of social life. d) Examine, inspect and compile the status of implementation and periodically report to the Prime Minister. dd) To assume the prime responsibility for formulating the Target Program on supporting the development of social assistance system for the period of 2016-2020 to be submitted to the Government for consideration and approval. 2. The shall integrate gender equality issues into normadic documents; stipulate the mainstreaming of gender equality in legal communication, propaganda and education. 3. The shall assume the prime responsibility for promulgating, guiding and organizing the implementation of regulations on human resource planning of female cadres, the percentage of women to be appointed in positions in state agencies; implement the mainstreaming of knowledge on gender and gender equality in training and capacity building for cadres, civil servants and officials. 4. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall assume the prime responsibility for coordinating with other concerned ministries and sectors in mobilizing official development assistance sources for the implementation of the Program. Direct the General Statistics Office to review and revise the National Gender Development Statistics Indicators. 5. The shall allocate funding for the implementation of the program in the annual budget estimates of the central and local agencies according to the provisions of law on the state budget; inspect and supervise the management and use of funds for the implementation of the Program. 6. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the prime responsibility for coordinating with the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and concerned ministries, agencies, organizations and localities in guiding and directing the media to promote and renew communication and education activities on policies and laws on gender equality; enhance the inspection, examination and strictly handle information, press and publishing activities with gender stereotypes. 7. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall enhance the inspection, examination and strict management of cultural products and entertainment activities so as to ensure gender-free activities; conduct research and make proposal to enhance the role of families in implementing gender equality. Coordinate with the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and other ministries, agencies, organizations and localities in organizing the implementation of the “Month of action for gender equality and gender-based violence prevention and control”. 8. The Ministry of Science and Technology, the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and concerned agencies shall enhance conducting scientific researches on gender equality. 9. The Committee of Ethnics Minority Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility for organizing the propagation, dissemination, education and promotion of the implementation of policies and legislation on gender equality to ethnic minority people; organize the implementation of specific policies to support gender equality activities in remote and ethnic minority areas and areas with exceptional socio-economic difficulties; mobilize ethnic minorities to promote good practices and traditions appropriate with the objective of gender equality. 10. Vietnam News Agency, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television, People's Newspaper and other mass media agencies to increase the broadcasting time, number of news and articles and improve the quality of communication on gender equality. 11. Agencies and organizations at central level participating in the implementation of the Program shall have to develop and organize the implementation of the annual plans of assigned tasks; guide the localities to integrate local activities with the implementation of the Program objectives; periodically report to the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs on the results of the program implementation for compiling and reporting to the Prime Minister. 12. The provincial and municipal People's committees shall be responsible for directing the development and implementation of annual work plans on gender equality in accordance with this Program and other guidelines of relevant ministries and sectors; allocate local budgets to implement and integrate the effective implementation of this Program into the local socio- economic development plan of the same period; promote inter-agency coordination in the implementation of gender equality; regularly and ad-hoc inspecting and examining the implementation of the Program to report to the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs for compiling and reporting to the Prime Minister. 13. Request the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Vietnam Women's Union, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other member organizations, within their functions and duties, to participate in organizing the implementation of the Program's activities; promote communication and education on gender equality and participate in monitoring the implementation of the Program.

Article 3.This Decision takes effect from the date of its signing.

Article 4. The Ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government, the presidents of the provincial People's Committees, the heads of the concerned agencies and organizations are responsible to implement this Decision.

For the Prime Minister Receiver: The Secretary of the Central Party The Prime Minister and Deputy Ministers Ministries, Ministerial-level agencies, government agencies The People’s Councils and People’s Committees Vu Duc Dam The Central Party Office Office of the General Secretary Office of the President The Council of Ethnics Minorities and National Assembly Committees The People’s Supreme Court The National Finance Monitoring Committee The Social Policy Bank The Vietnam Development Bank The State Audit Mass organizations Departments and Offices