This is one of the official activities of the AWCH in the ASEAN Year 2020 in Vietnam to celebrate the 110th anniversary of International Women's Day (March 8).

At the meeting, Ambassador Nguyen Nguyet Nga reported to Ms. Truong Thi Mai about the activities of the AWCH Group, emphasizing that this year marks the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the AWCH Group, associated with 5 years of building the ASEAN Community (2015 - 2020). The group's rich and diverse activities, such as organizing the ASEAN Family Day, attending international food festivals, donating money to charities for disadvantaged women and children, and learning about the country, culture, history and people of Vietnam and ASEAN have contributed to ASEAN cohesion initiatives, enhancing people-to-people exchanges, promoting ASEAN's rich cultural identity. These activities also contribute to strengthening solidarity and friendship between the people of ASEAN countries and connecting with international friends. These achievements are the hard work and dedication of all AWCH members, including female ambassadors, wife of ambassadors, female cadres of ASEAN embassies in Hanoi and female spouses and leaders of units under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On behalf of the ASEAN Community Women Group in Hanoi, Ambassador Nguyen Nguyet Nga congratulated Mrs. Truong Thi Mai on the occasion of International Women's Day March 8 and expressed sincere thanks to Mrs. Mai for her time to receive the delegation, emphasizing AWCH activities is also the work of external mobilization. Mrs. Nga affirmed that the activities of the Group in the coming time will actively support the work of gender equality in Vietnam and contribute to promoting gender equality in the region and the world; she also hoped to continue to receive the attention, support and orientation for the Group's activities to be more and more practical and effective to support the ASEAN Year 2020.

In an intimate, warm atmosphere, the spouses of ASEAN Ambassadors in Hanoi, the Ambassadors and the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed their sincere gratitude when they came to greet Ms. Truong Thi Mai, sharing their love for the country of Vietnam, their admiration for the positive roles and outstanding contributions of Vietnamese women, emphasizing their positive contributions to practical and effective activities of the AWCH Group, its efforts to better understand the Vietnamese culture and people, especially to promote Vietnam to its people. Those are the most practical feelings to contribute to the unity of ASEAN women in Hanoi, raising people's awareness about the ASEAN Community.

Expressing the joy of meeting AWCH members, Mrs. Truong Thi Mai highly appreciated the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ASEAN embassies in Hanoi in establishing and promoting the operation of the AWCH Group, considering it a useful forum to contribute to the unity of ASEAN ladies and the people of ASEAN for an ASEAN Community of solidarity, friendship and cooperation.

Mrs. Truong Thi Mai shared the advancements in gender equality in Vietnam over the past few years, including enabling women to access education, medical and health care, establishing businesses led by women and allowing women to participate in political and social life. In particular, with the attention of the Party and the State, the legal framework related to the rights of women in education, labor has been built over time, along with increasing the retirement age and setting goals to gradually increase the proportion of women in politics,... Vietnamese women have been more proactive and positive, defining themselves in many areas of social life, including foreign affairs.

Mrs. Truong Thi Mai congratulated the Group's performance results in the past 5 years with the creativity and enthusiasm of AWCH members, and welcomed the Group to organize many cultural and people-to-people exchange activities. such as organizing the ASEAN Family Day, International Women's Day, participating in the International Food Festival, expanding the Group's network to ASEAN partners, contributing to strengthening the ASEAN cohesion in the hearts of international friends. Mrs. Mai also highly appreciated the tender hearts of the ladies who have contributed to practical social and charity programs to support the people of Vietnam in all regions.

Regarding the activities of the AWCH Group in 2020, Mrs. Mai also suggested that the AWCH Group continue to organize meaningful activities in a more practical way, contributing to promoting the implementation of ASEAN priorities in 2020, increasing strengthening the affection of ASEAN women, international friends, supporting the building of the common ASEAN cultural identity, for the increasingly strong development of the Community.

On this occasion, Mrs. Truong Thi Mai, Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Commission for Public Affairs, sent congratulatory notes and flowers to the Ambassadors' Women, female Ambassadors and the Head of the departments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of International Women’s Day.