Concert raises awareness of gender equality

ABO/NDO- A concert entitled “Girls Deserve to Shine” was jointly held by the Vietnam National Academy of Music, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) in Hanoi on December 10.

The event was held following the successful organisation of the two previous concerts in 2020 and 2021 with the aim to raise public awareness of gender equality and respond to the National Action Month 2022 for Gender Equality and Gender-Based Violence Prevention as well as the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Social Affairs Committee Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy said that the completion of the legal framework on gender equality and domestic violence prevention is a joint effort between the National Assembly, the Government of Vietnam and international organisations over the past decades.

United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pauline Tamesis speaking at the event.

“I believe that with the pervasive power of art, the symphony night will contribute to raising community awareness about the role and position of women in social life and the value of girls and gender equality in building a prosperous, progressive and happy Vietnamese family, which is the nucleus and healthy cell of society, the home of each person, and a place to promote good values, contributing to boosting sustainable national development,” Thuy noted.

According to Pauline Tamesis, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, gender equality in Vietnam has been improved over the past few decades, with the latest achievement being the National Assembly’s approval of the revised Law on Domestic Violence and Control in November, with a rights-based and person-centred approach in Vietnamese legislation.

She expressed her hope that the message of the concert will be spread widely, and that the power of music will bind everyone together towards comprehensive, equitable and sustainable development in Vietnam.

Under the direction of conductor Honna Tetsuji, the concert featured many famous works by world-famous composers such as George Frideric Handel, Carl Maria von Weber, David Popper, Frederic Chopin, and Serge Koussevitzky.

The event saw the participation of several talented female artists including Phung Hoai Thu (Viola), Luu Ly Ly (Cello), Vu Cam Tu (Contrabass), Nguyen Thai Ha (Piano) and Nguyen Thuy Duong (Harp) along with other artists of the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra.

(Source: NDO)