Take Five: We hope to create lasting change by embedding women, peace and security principles into national policies and leadership programmes

Luong Thu Hien is Vice Director of the Institute for Human Rights at Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy and Director of the Vietnam Center for Gender and Women’s Rights Studies. She participated in Strengthening Implementation of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Security at National Levels – “NAP Academy” Training Workshop in Bangkok, Thailand during 24-28 June 2024. The workshop, organized by UN Women and ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation, convened participants from Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to exchange experiences in national action plans (NAPs) to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security (WPS).

Why is it important to promote Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in Viet Nam?

Viet Nam has a Gender Equality Law and other national statutes supporting gender equality. However, new and emerging security issues are not yet fully addressed in these existing legal frameworks. The National Action Plan on WPS will help cover these gaps by incorporating contemporary challenges.

Additionally, traditional security concerns have often overlooked the perspectives of women and girls, making a comprehensive NAP essential to ensuring their voices and experiences are fully considered.

How did participating in the workshop help you to understand the localization of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Security?

The workshop has been incredibly valuable. Learning from other countries that have implemented NAPs has been particularly beneficial, as we gained insights into how countries are effectively implementing their NAPs. It helped me understand various aspects of a high-impact NAP such as the importance of prioritization, measurable outcomes and cross-sector collaboration among government actors.

What key lesson stood out to you?

The event emphasized the importance of women’s participation in peace and security while identifying barriers to leadership roles. This NAP Academy inspired me to strengthen WPS education in the leadership programmes at Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy, where we train 20,000 government leaders every year, ensuring future policymakers are equipped to drive change. This initiative will also support the implementation of Viet Nam’s newly adopted NAP on WPS.

What role does the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy play in advancing WPS?

As the Vice Director of the Institute for Human Rights at Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy and Director of the Vietnam Center for Gender and Women’s Rights Studies, I see an essential role for our institution in WPS implementation. We will collaborate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UN Women to integrate WPS and prevention of sexual harassment into the leadership training programme that is mandatory for national leaders. By mainstreaming WPS into our curriculum, we will equip future leaders with the knowledge and skills to advance gender equality in the governance and security sectors.

What do you hope to achieve through this collaboration with UN Women?

Our goal is to build a robust, practical and effective NAP that addresses both traditional and emerging security challenges for women in Viet Nam. We aim to strengthen leadership training on WPS and ensure that decision makers are well-informed about both national and international frameworks. Through collaboration with UN Women and other stakeholders, we hope to create lasting change by embedding WPS principles into national policies and leadership development programmes.