When voting, if you see the word 'Thi' (meaning "city" or "town"), should you cross out your name?

Society still holds many prejudices about women's leadership abilities when they enter politics, so some people cross out the word "Thi" (meaning "prostitute") when they see it in an election.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the percentage of female National Assembly deputies in the 13th term showed a significant decline and was the lowest in the last four terms. In the past 20 years (from 1987 to 2007), the number of female National Assembly deputies only increased by nearly 4%; women still face many prejudices and barriers when participating in politics.

When voting, if you see the word "Thi" (meaning "City" or "Region"), cross it out.

Speaking at"Workshop on Media Orientation to Enhance Women's Participation in the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels"At a conference held on April 11-12, Dr. Nguyen Si Dung, former Deputy Head of the National Assembly Office, emphasized that current media messages related to gender equality in general and women's participation in politics in particular focus on portraying negative aspects such as domestic violence; women in leadership positions having to shoulder additional responsibilities as they strive to be both good leaders and women conforming to traditional norms and styles; or issuing slogan-based calls to action.

Female delegates of the 13th National Assembly during a break (Photo: KT)

"Although such information can contribute to raising awareness, the repetition of such messages can have the opposite effect of informational desensitization and, in many cases, can create a counterproductive reaction, causing communication efforts to fail to achieve the expected results," said Mr. Nguyen Si Dung.

Recent findings from the Institute for Development Studies also indicate that men hold more leadership positions than women. Society still holds many prejudices about women's leadership abilities, with the majority believing that women are easily distracted by household chores, incapable of working under high pressure, and prone to compromise; that women lack time and are not trusted.

Furthermore, young women are often in their childbearing years, leaving them with little time for careers. Those surveyed don't believe women can handle both work and home life. Additionally, people don't trust young women to be capable leaders. Even a talented young woman might face years of challenges before being promoted.

One woman, responding to a survey by the Institute for Development Studies, said: "In my opinion, public opinion is still prejudiced. People think that men are more capable than women. Now, when it comes to elections, if they see the word 'Ms.' in the polling station, they cross it out. I was on the vote counting team and I saw that; they only crossed out women."

If you want to be heard, vote for women.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Dam, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Vice Chairman of the National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam, affirmed that increasing the percentage of female delegates in the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels is a particularly important indicator in the overall goal."Increase women's participation in management and leadership positions.,aiming to gradually reduce the gender gap in the political arena.”of the National Strategy on Gender Equality for the period 2011-2020.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Trong Dam stated that the Vietnamese Constitution stipulates the equal rights of men and women in participating in all areas of state and society. From a representational perspective, participating in elected bodies means representing the population from all social strata, professions, and genders. Women account for more than half of the world's population, and this proportion is also true in Vietnam.

Therefore, women should participate more in elected bodies to ensure equal representation with men. On the other hand, women are not inferior to men in terms of capabilities, especially in community work, interacting with and persuading different segments of the population.

International experience shows that for women to have a decisive voice, they need at least 30% representation in the state apparatus.

Therefore, the 2015 Law on Elections to the National Assembly and People's Councils also stipulates: ensuring that at least 35% of the total number of people on the official list of candidates for the National Assembly and People's Councils are women. This is also an important and necessary measure to assess the socio-economic development of each country in the world.

However, according to Mr. Nguyen Trong Dam, politics is a field where men have traditionally been dominant. Social norms, stereotypical images of women and their roles, and perceptions of their capabilities and perseverance all combine to create immense pressure, challenges, and barriers for women who wish to participate in politics in general and elected bodies in particular.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Trong Dam affirmed: "We need to break down the prejudice that, inherently, men are more suited to leadership positions than women."

Dr. Nguyen Si Dung also emphasized that, for voters, it is necessary to raise awareness of the role and position of women in leadership and management; minimize gender stereotypes and actively support women's participation in politics. In particular, it is necessary to build an image of men sharing household responsibilities, spouses sharing decision-making power on important life matters, and men and women sharing decision-making power in the community and at the workplace.

Furthermore, female voters have a responsibility to participate in elections in person and cannot "have someone else vote on their behalf," thereby losing their rights and civic duties.

According to VOV