In his remarks at the event, Deputy Head of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA)’s External Relations Committee Nguyen Manh Tien said the virtual discussion aims to exchange experience between the two national assemblies on protecting women’s rights during the COVID-19  as women are those most vulnerable during the unprecedented crisis.

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Vietnamese parliamentarians take part in the discussion.

Vietnam stands ready to deepen cooperation and share experience in COVID-19 response with Argentine’s National Congress and Government, he said. He expected the two legislative bodies to increase delegation exchange and bilateral meetings on the sidelines of multilateral parliamentary forums, and to accelerate experience exchanges in parliamentary affairs as well as global and regional issues of mutual concerns.

Le Thi Nguyet, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese NA’s Social Affairs Committee, said about 30.8 million workers have been laid off or had working hours cut in Vietnam as of June this year, 17.6 million of them women. The number of unemployed female workers was 2.14 percent higher than that of male laborers.

Meanwhile, women accounted for a majority of frontline healthcare workers in the fight against the coronavirus, Nguyet noted, adding that women had to work from home and do household chores at the same time, doubling the burdens put on them in the time of COVID-19.

She urged the two parliaments to strengthen partnership and share experience in COVID-19 response and ensuring social welfare for people. Female legislators should ramp up experience exchanges and law making in gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.

Source: VNA