A Safe Pathway – Raising Awareness and Building Resilience for Women and Girls in Cyberspace

While technological advancements present vast opportunities for education and economic empowerment, they also expose women and girls to significant risks in the digital space. As digital technologies become integral to daily life, the risks of online harms and crimes, particularly against women and girls, are increasing globally. In Vietnam, the growing use of digital platforms among women and girls, especially young girls in schools has brought to light the vulnerability of this demographic to cyberbullying, online harassment, sexual exploitation, and identity theft.

In line with Vietnam’s commitment to advancing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, the UN Pact for the Future, the Digital Compact, and the protection of personal data, it is very important that we equip women and young girls, particularly those in schools, with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect themselves in the digital world.

The Protection of Women and Girls in the Digital Space Vietnam has made significant strides in its digital transformation, but challenges related to the security of women and girls in cyberspace remain. Decree No. 56/2017/ND-CP on the protection of personal information and the Law on Cybersecurity provide the legal framework for online safety, but enforcement and awareness need to be strengthened. Women and girls, especially those from rural and underserved areas, often lack awareness of how to protect themselves from the risks associated with online interactions. In this context, schools, being a central part of girls’ lives, shall provide an essential setting for promoting digital safety, having a community of safe online engagement, having the guidance to become resilient online.

This forum is organized aiming at raising awareness about online safety in schools, enhancing teachers and students, especially girls’ resilience to digital harms, and aligning with the implementation of key national and international frameworks.

Alignment with Vietnam’s National Action Plan on WPS (NAP WPS) Vietnam’s adoption of the first NAP WPS in 2024 underscores the importance of addressing the gendered impacts of security challenges, including those in the digital realm. This forum will contribute to the implementation of the NAP WPS’ Objective 2 to “… Raise awareness and capacity for women, girls in responding to challenges in cyberspace; develop and replicate good models and practices in supporting women to cope with challenges in cyberspace.”

While the government is working on the integration of online safety and cybersecurity into school curricula, we will strengthen the role of education in preventing digital violence and empowering women and young girls.

Raising awareness about online safety and helping girls become resilient to digital harms is crucial in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. By empowering women and young girls with knowledge and skills to identify the online risks, becoming resilient in their responses to cybercrimes and threats, and enjoy the cyberspaces as confident digital citizens to fully benefit from the digital transformation of the country will contribute to Vietnam’s national efforts to implement the Resolution 57[1] to contribute to creating breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation, and digital transformation, and laying a strong foundation for the nation’s robust development in the new era[2].

Objective

Raise awareness among women and girls, particularly youth/students through workshop sessions and panel dícussion for teachers, students, school counsellors, and other related stakeholders and ministries to build resilience against cyber threats.

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[1] https://special.vietnamplus.vn/2025/02/26/resolution-no-57-removes-barriers-for-sci-tech-development/

[2] https://vietnamlawmagazine.vn/resolution-57-to-create-breakthroughs-in-socio-economic-development-party-chief-73361.html