A dialogue on South–South cooperation to enhance access to justice for women and girls was held at the UN Green One House in Hanoi on March 11 to mark International Women’s Day 2026.
The event, co-organised by UN Women in Vietnam and the embassies of South Africa and Mozambique, brought together representatives from Vietnamese agencies, UN bodies, diplomatic missions, academia, the private sector and social organisations.
Participants shared experience of Vietnam and African partners in improving women’s access to justice, including through digital transformation and promoting women’s leadership.
UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pauline Tamesis highlighted the theme “Rights – Justice – Action: For All Women & Girls”, stressing that progress must be reflected in women’s everyday lives through safe, transparent and fear-free access to their rights.
She also commended Vietnam’s sustained commitment to gender equality, noting advances in budgeting, land use, social insurance and domestic violence prevention under the recent review of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
South African Ambassador to Vietnam Vuyiswa Tulelo shared that while her country has one of the world’s most progressive gender equality legal frameworks, challenges such as gender-based violence, unequal access to justice and the digital divide remain.
South Africa is addressing these issues by modernising its justice system through digital court procedures, electronic case management and technology-based victim support services.
Delegates agreed that justice systems play a central role in safeguarding women’s rights, especially for those facing multiple forms of discrimination. Digital tools offer new opportunities for accessing legal information and support, but also raise concerns over online safety and privacy.
The dialogue was expected to generate practical solutions and foster people-centred justice systems that are more inclusive and responsive to the needs of women and girls worldwide./.
