The seminar was jointly organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Office in Vietnam to collect suggestions for the draft Law on Gender Equality scheduled to be submitted to the National Assembly for approval at its next session.

Participants put forth specific proposals to raise public awareness of gender equality and to increase dialogues and consensus among parties involved in policy making and activity organising with a view to improving gender equality in the field of labour and employment in Vietnam.

The workshop highlighted efforts by the Vietnamese Party, State, agencies and organisations to ensure women's advancements in all aspects of the society, which is demonstrated through the Constitution and many relevant legal documents.

The country has the highest proportion of female deputies in the National Assembly in the region. It has also approved the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the ILO Conventions 100 and 111 on equal payment and anti-discrimination in employment.

However, the seminar noted that policies on women in general and female workers in particular still have shortcomings while revision is slow.