Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, will pay her first official visit to Vietnam from March 28 to 31 to strengthen partnership with the Vietnamese government in gender equality work and praise public efforts made in advancing women’s empowerment and rights.

During her visit, Mlambo-Ngcuka will meet Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen, UN Women, a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women, said Monday in its press release.

Other meetings with high-ranking government officials are with women leaders, along with the National Assembly and the representatives of other organizations to discuss UN Women-supported government efforts to enhance gender equality and women’s empowerment as well as reduce the gender gap in the country.

The UN Women executive director will lead a discussion on social protection with women migrant workers at the biggest night-market in the capital Hanoi, known as Long Bien market, to hear from them about their challenges and aspirations.

During the discussion, she will underscore UN Women’s commitment to support the empowerment of migrants and call for action to provide migrants with better access to basic services and social protection.

Her trip also includes a dialogue with secondary school students at Chu Van An, a 105-year-old school in the capital city, on providing safe learning environments in schools and stressing the role of youth in preventing violence against women and girls.

Her interaction with young people and teachers will highlight the importance of school-based curriculums that contain values of gender equality, respect, care and youth participation - central to putting an end to gender-based violence and discrimination.

Mlambo-Ngcuka will deliver a keynote address at the Policy Dialogue on “Increasing Inclusion of Women and Girls in the Social Protection System: A Development Priority,” to be attended by the Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, international organizations, and gender experts. 

She was sworn in as Executive Director of UN Women by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on August 19, 2013.

Mlambo-Ngcuka was the first woman to hold the position of Deputy President of South Africa (2005 to 2008) and has also held key cabinet positions, such as Deputy Minister in the Department of Trade and Industry (1996-1999); Minister of Minerals and Energy (1999-2005) and served as acting Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology in 2004.