HANOI, 22 October 2018 – The ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls took place on 22 October in Hanoi hosted by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Viet Nam in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat and the EU Mission to ASEAN.

The dialogue focused on the theme “Implementing SDG 5: Gender Equality at Work” and was supported by the Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (E-READI).

The event brought together high-level officials from the European Union (EU) and the ASEAN Member States responsible for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Kung Phoak, Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN for Socio-Cultural Community, highlighted that “ASEAN is committed to achieve gender equality and empowerment of women and girls as enshrined in ASEAN Vision 2025 and embedded in key ASEAN instruments.” He added that “the year 2017 has been a successful year for ASEAN in championing the case of women and girls.”

Bruno Angelet, EU Ambassador to Viet Nam  said that “equality between women and men was one of the fundamental values of the European Union enshrined in the EU treaties. The European Union promotes gender equality within its own borders, as well as in its relations with partner countries, notably in its development cooperation activities.”

ASEAN and the European Union have been committed partners in the protection and the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments to which ASEAN Member States are parties. The first EU-ASEAN policy dialogue on human rights held in Brussels, Belgium in 2015, was followed by a second policy dialogue on human rights organized in November 2017 in Bohol, the Philippines.

“This dialogue is being held as part of the weeklong events leading to the 3rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Women on 25 October in Hanoi,” said Nguyen Thi Ha, Vice-Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam. “It is our hope that this event will serve as an inaugural platform for discussions and exchanges on challenges, good practices as well as evidence-based solutions on the implementation of SDG 5 and other gender-relevant SDGs in both regions,” she added.

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but also a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Despite acknowledging the progress achieved to date, women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence in every part of the world. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls that are regarded as pre-condition for the attainment of all SDGs targets and indicators.