Participants at a Hanoi seminar this morning argued that Vietnam has committed to eliminating AIDS by 2030 and has demonstrated its political leadership and commitments to participate in global efforts to address gender inequality and HIV. However, according to a joint study published at the workshop by the Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), gender equality promises have not been clearly shown in HIV response policies, programmes nor budgets at the present time. The current HIV responsive plans have not fully addressed the diverse needs of women and girls affected by the epidemic, while there is a lack of involvement from civil society, especially groups representing women living with HIV, in the development and implementation of HIV-related policies. Elisa Fernandez, Head of Office at the UN Women Vietnam, said that women living with HIV are facing challenges in accessing prevention, treatment and support services. Women, especially those who are most affected by the epidemic, remain largely out of decision-making and policy-building processes. The situation contributed to the increase in the number of HIV-positive women from 24% in 2007 to 33% in 2014 in Vietnam, Elisa Fernandez stated. In order to achieve gender equality and empowerment for women and girls in the response to HIV, the UN official suggested improving access to reproductive and sexual health services and HIV services, facilitating the transformation of social norms and behaviours on gender inequities, and promoting leadership amongst women in… [Read full story]
HCM CITY (VNS)— More journalists in Viet Nam should be involved in writing about gender and gender-equality issues, experts said at a workshop held in HCM City yesterday. Speaking at the two-day seminar, local officials from Viet Nam's Gender Equality Department said the country had a detailed plan to integrate the gender dimension into mass media. They said more stories about women's issues had appeared in national and local publications in recent years. This follows the global trend, which shows the number of stories on women rising from 17 per cent in 1995 to 24 per cent in 2010, according…... [read more]
Corporate tax at 20% now: expert suggests Minh Tam By Minh Tam - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC – Opinions differ between the National Assembly and the Ministry of Finance as to whether corporate income tax should be lowered to 23% or 20%, but economist Pham Chi Lan said the tax should be slashed to 20% immediately. Enterprises in Vietnam are mired in troubles, especially financial distress, so tax cuts will be an effective remedy for them, she said in an interview. Corporate income tax in Vietnam is higher than in neighboring countries, while they have a better business environment,…... [read more]
The Vietnam Women's Union and the UN Country Team in Vietnam on February 21 launched a project to promote the greater involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA) in HIV programmes.The project aims to enable people living with HIV to participate fully in HIV/AIDS prevention activities, and to express their perspectives, hopes and concerns. The US$667,000 project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Special Voluntary Fund of the UN Volunteers Programme, the US President's Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Australian Government Overseas Aid Programme (AusAID). The project has five…... [read more]
Experts suggest more fruit cultivation (21-07-2009) A farmer harvests mandarin oranges in Lai Vung District of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Dong Thap. — VNA/VNS Photo Van Tri HCM CITY — Dedicating large areas to growing certain special varieties of fruit trees will help Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces exploit the massive global demand for fruits, experts have said. The Cultivation Department expects the global demand for fruit to grow 24 per cent in the next decade from around 2.9 million tonnes now. The US and the EU are expected to remain the biggest importers, consuming around 70…... [read more]
(TITC) – On 30 March 2016, in Ha Noi, Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) organized the conference on dissemination of ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016 – 2025 and tourism integration related issues. Overview of the conference This was a forum for managers, policymakers, experts and businesses to share experiences, identify new opportunities and challenges in the integration process of Viet Nam. The conference provides practical information for the management, planning and operation of the stakeholders in the sector, especially tourism enterprises. Deputy Director General of VNAT Ha Van Sieu speaks at the conference In his…... [read more]
