In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the general elections slated for May 23, the diplomat noted that the ratio of female deputies in the 14th National Assembly (NA) is 26.8 percent, much higher than the average in Asian countries, at 19 percent.

Meanwhile, the ratio of women holding leadership positions is on the rise in many sectors, reflecting the country’s achievements in enhancing gender equality.

Moroccan Ambassador to Vietnam Jamale Chouaibi (Photo: VNA)

According to the ambassador, female legislators have made great contributions to the socio-economic development of Vietnam over the past years.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese women have also helped foster the country’s economic development, he said, noting that Vietnam ranks second in Southeast Asia in the ratio of women undertaking management positions in both private and State-run enterprises.

Chouaibi said that in the elections of deputies to the 15th NA and People’s Councils at all levels, the rate of female candidates is more than 45 percent, which is also a positive signal, encouraging women to contribute further to the country’s development policies.

The ambassador also lauded the efforts by Party and State leaders in ensuring that people from ethnic minority groups have their voices in the top legislative body.

Vietnam has also made certain progress in building laws on the integration of socio-economic development programmes with the improvement of living conditions for resident in ethnic minority-inhabited areas, as well as in supervising the implementation of these programmes, he added.

Commenting on Vietnam’s preparations for the elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Chouaibi spoke highly of the country’s effective COVID-19 prevention and control measures as well as the close coordination between the government and local administrations.

According to the diplomat, the successful organising of election campaigns through modern means of information and communications will contribute to ensuring the safe holding of the important political event.

The Moroccan ambassador stressed that Vietnam is among few countries which have successfully implemented the dual target of controlling COVID-19 and ensuring economic growth.

In the fight against COVID-19, Vietnam has shown its effective response, he said, adding that efficiency of socio-economic support packages launched by the Government to ease people and businesses’ difficulties amid the pandemic has been recognised by the international community./.

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