Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc outlines three important directions to empower women's development

On the evening of October 16, at Ho Guom Opera House in Hanoi, the Vietnam Women's Union Central Committee held the programme "Vietnamese Women Shining Bright" to present the 2026 Vietnam Women's Awards and the second Nguyen Thi Dinh Awards; launch the 2027 competition themed "Women's Innovative Entrepreneurship: Elevating Vietnamese Brands". The events marked the 96th anniversary of the Vietnam Women's Union and Vietnamese Women's Day on October 20.

Attending the ceremony and delivering guidance on behalf of the Government and the Prime Minister, Politburo member and Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc extended his best wishes to Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, generations of Women's Union officials, and Vietnamese women at home and abroad.

Women are key drivers of the country's new era of development

Reflecting on the nation's long history of building and defending the country, the Permanent Deputy Prime Minister said Vietnamese women had always embodied the heroic, indomitable, faithful and resourceful qualities praised by President Ho Chi Minh.

As Vietnam enters a new phase of modern development, women's role and standing have continued to grow. Women account for more than half the population and nearly half of the country's workforce. Women make up 30% of National Assembly deputies, while the proportion of women-owned and women-managed businesses ranks among the highest in the world. These figures demonstrate the significant progress made by Vietnamese women.

Drawing on these achievements, Mr. Pham Gia Tuc stressed that women are not merely beneficiaries of development but active participants, a resource and a key driving force. Supporting women, he said, is not simply about providing assistance and protection; fundamentally, it means creating opportunities for them to maximise their potential and contribute to their homeland and country.

Recognising the Vietnam Women's Union's progress in recent years, he praised its proactive approach to grassroots engagement, flexible outreach methods and practical, people-centred initiatives, including the "Godmother" programme and "Accompanying Women in Border Areas". These activities have contributed to building prosperous and progressive families, improving quality of life and addressing social issues effectively.

On the occasion, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc congratulated the organisations and individuals honoured with the 2026 Vietnam Women's Awards, as well as the outstanding Women's Union officials receiving the second Nguyen Thi Dinh Awards. He described them as inspiring role models who dare to think, act and take responsibility.

Three key directions to support women's comprehensive development

Analysing Vietnam's development as the country enters a new era, the Permanent Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that science and technology, innovation, digital transformation and green transition would play decisive roles in reshaping production, business and social governance.

Against this backdrop, women must be involved from the outset, participate on an equal footing and fairly benefit from the outcomes generated by these new drivers of development. To achieve this, he outlined three key directions.

First, strengthen support for women's entrepreneurship. Mr. Pham Gia Tuc stressed the need to effectively implement Politburo Resolutions No. 57-NQ/TW and No. 68-NQ/TW, as well as Prime Ministerial Decision No. 2415/QD-TTg approving the project "Supporting Women's Entrepreneurship for 2026–2035". The consistent guiding approach should put women at the centre, make innovation the driving force, and prioritise digital transformation and green transition.

Welcoming the launch of the 2027 competition themed "Women's Innovative Entrepreneurship: Elevating Vietnamese Brands", he called on the Vietnam Women's Union Central Committee to ensure the competition delivered tangible results, was cost-effective and avoided formalism. Recognition should be linked to business incubation, resource mobilisation and long-term support.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that awards were only the visible outcome; the real priority was to build a strong foundation and create a favourable environment. Women must be treated as the true driving force of entrepreneurship, with practical efforts to remove barriers to accessing capital, land, technology, markets and management skills. Women's entrepreneurship initiatives should also be encouraged to connect with science and technology, the private sector and efforts to improve labour productivity.

For women themselves, he said, inner strength, self-reliance, ambition, knowledge, discipline and a commitment to lifelong learning would be decisive factors in achieving success. These qualities would help turn every product made by women into a competitive ambassador for Vietnamese brands, capable of reaching international markets.

Second, renew the women's movement and the Vietnam Women's Union's operating methods. Mr. Pham Gia Tuc called for continued and substantial reform towards greater professionalism, with the satisfaction of Union members and women serving as the key measure of performance. Union bodies at all levels should promptly identify emerging issues affecting women and strengthen their capacity to represent women and protect their legitimate rights and interests.

In the new era, the Union must provide clear answers to a central question: how can it fully unleash women's creativity and generate tangible changes that contribute to socio-economic development?

Its activities should focus more strongly on supporting women in strategic sectors, with an emphasis on substantive outcomes backed by concrete results and data. The Union's awards should also place greater emphasis on grassroots communities and promptly identify and honour young and outstanding individuals, particularly those in the private sector, innovation and information technology.

Third, strengthen the responsibility of authorities at all levels. The Permanent Deputy Prime Minister called on Party committees, authorities, ministries, sectors and localities to take proactive and responsible action to resolve practical difficulties faced by women and create a more enabling environment for their development. Ministries and sectors should address bottlenecks within their respective mandates and provide support that meets the needs of the right beneficiaries.

Particular attention should be given to rural women, women in remote and mountainous areas, women with disabilities, female workers, intellectuals and businesswomen.

Effective implementation of gender equality policies must also ensure that women have equal opportunities to access education, vocational training, employment, credit, technology and social security systems.

Concluding his speech, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc expressed strong confidence in the resilience, intelligence, compassion and aspirations of Vietnamese women as the country enters a new period of opportunity.

He called on every woman to believe in her own abilities, take the initiative in mastering knowledge and technology, and help build happy and progressive families. He also expressed confidence that the Vietnam Women's Union would continue to serve as a warm common home and a strong bridge between the Party and State and women from all walks of life, joining the nation in building an increasingly prosperous and flourishing Vietnam.