Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan led a Vietnamese delegation to attend and deliver a speech at the 2025 Global Summit of Women, held in Berlin under the theme “Women: Restoring Value in the Digital Age,” on the evening of July 3, 2025.

The opening session was attended by Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan; German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil; Vice President of the Bundestag Josephine Ortleb; and Summit President Irene Natividad, along with nearly 1,000 delegates, including government leaders, business executives, and representatives from international organizations across more than 60 countries and territories.

In her opening address, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan praised the Global Summit of Women for its 35 years of contribution to promoting dialogue and international cooperation on gender equality. She highlighted the relevance of this year’s theme, particularly as the world faces growing instability. The rapid pace of digital transformation, she noted, offers major opportunities for sustainable development, global problem-solving, innovation, effective governance, and improved quality of life. However, it also risks exacerbating both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, especially for vulnerable groups in society.

The Vice President reaffirmed that promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment is a consistent commitment of Vietnam, grounded in a people-centered philosophy. In this approach, women are seen both as key agents and as an important source of national development. She emphasized the country’s notable progress in this field.

Between 2022 and 2024, Vietnam advanced 11 places in the global gender equality rankings and currently ranks 72nd among 146 countries. Women account for 44% of the nation’s scientific research workforce. In STEM fields, female students represent 37% of total enrollment, surpassing the global average of 30%. These achievements have been widely recognized by the international community.

Sharing insights into Vietnam’s national digital transformation strategy, the Vice President hailed grassroots initiatives such as the “Digital Literacy for All” and “AI for the People” movements. She praised the proactive role of the Vietnam Women’s Union in bringing these initiatives to women at the community level as a contribution to the development of an inclusive digital society.

To fully tap into women’s economic potential, Xuan affirmed that women are “architects of the economy,” accounting for 28% of business owners and holding key leadership roles in tech associations. The government also runs various support programs for women entrepreneurs. To ensure women and children can participate safely and confidently in this process, Vietnam is working to create a safe and inclusive digital space for future generations, with specific policies and actions already underway.

The Vice President called on the international community and national governments to keep gender equality at the center of all discussions and legal frameworks concerning technology. She also urged countries to share successful models, and to amplify the voices and contributions of women scientists and tech entrepreneurs with visibility, recognition, and respect, thereby breaking invisible barriers and inspiring new generations of women to rise and lead.

Reaffirming Vietnam’s readiness to share its experience, Vice President Xuan reiterated the country’s commitment to being a reliable partner and responsible member of the international community, working together to build an inclusive digital world where all women and girls can fully participate, be protected, and be empowered to achieve comprehensive development.

In their remarks, German German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil and Bundestag Vice President Josephine Ortleb emphasized that, after 35 years of development, the Global Summit of Women has driven positive change and opened up new opportunities for women around the world. Klingbeil stressed that sexual and reproductive rights, diversity, and inclusion are declining in some places. He called on delegates to work together through the summit to shape a more equitable future for women, underscoring that only with full participation of women can global challenges be tackled comprehensively.

Speakers at the opening session also highlighted the urgency of advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls in the face of today’s complex global challenges. They emphasized that while the digital age and rapid advances in science, technology, and artificial intelligence offer unprecedented opportunities to strengthen women’s roles and contributions, they also pose new risks of discrimination, bias, and inequality, especially in economic and social spheres. It is crucial, they said, to ensure women and girls are fully included in science and technology, equipped with relevant skills, and supported to adapt to emerging trends in the job market, particularly in the tech sector. Gender equality and women’s advancement, they affirmed, are key to achieving sustainable human development.

Established in 1990, the Global Summit of Women is one of the world’s major international forums on gender equality. It brings together policymakers and business leaders from around the globe to exchange ideas and promote initiatives aimed at enhancing women’s contributions and roles in all areas of public life, especially in the economy. Vietnam has participated in the summit for over 25 years and has made many positive contributions throughout.

Vietnamese Vice President’s statement at opening of Global Summit of Women

Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan attended and delivered a statement at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Global Summit of Women in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 23. The following is the full text of the statement.