• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Democracy Chronicles

Towards better democracy everywhere.

  • AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
  • WORLD DEMOCRACY
  • POLITICAL ART
  • more
    • election technology
    • money politics
    • political dissidents
    • THIRD PARTY
      • third party central
      • green party
      • justice party
      • libertarian party
    • voting methods
  • DC INFO
    • author central
    • about
    • advertise with DC
    • contact
    • privacy policy
You are here: Home / Democracy News Headlines / International Democracy / Vietnam Has First Female President, But Activists Unimpressed

Vietnam Has First Female President, But Activists Unimpressed

September 25, 2018 by DC Editors Leave a Comment

FacebookLinkedInPinTweet

Vietnam Has First Female President, But Activists Unimpressed
Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh holds the power of the President

VOA – ENGLISH

Vietnam’s appointment of its first female president belies a deep gender imbalance in the communist country’s politics and society and will do little to improve women’s rights, advocates said Monday.

Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh was named acting president Sunday following the death of Tran Dai Quang, a former chief of internal security appointed to the presidency in 2016.

“I think while Ngoc Thinh’s appointment is symbolically important, its wider significance is limited to some women who are Communist Party members,” said activist and dissident Do Nguyen Mai Khoi in an email.

“We should however remember that, as an unelected leader who is not accountable to the public, this appointment is not likely to improve conditions for most women in Vietnam.”

Vietnam ranked 61 out of 193 countries in a survey last year of women’s participation in parliament conducted by the Genveva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union. The southeast Asian nation was ranked 166 for women in ministerial positions.

Vietnam’s National Assembly elected Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh as vice president in 2016. She was born in 1959 and holds a bachelor of law and a master’s degree in party building, according to state media reports.

“The appointment of a woman as Vietnam’s president may be historic, but it has more to do with internal party politics than gender,” said Andrea Giorgetta, Asia director for the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights.

“The reality is that the number of women in decision-making positions at all political levels in Vietnam remains low and reflects firmly-rooted gender stereotypes about the role women in the country’s society,” Giorgetta told Reuters.

Vietnam has no paramount ruler and is officially led by four “pillars” — its president, prime minister, the chief of its Communist Party and the national assembly chair.

The president sits on the powerful decision-making politburo, but is considered to have a more ceremonial role.

FacebookLinkedInPinTweet

Filed Under: International Democracy Tagged With: Asia, Feminism, Vietnam, Women and Democracy, Women Voting Rights

Some highlighted Democracy Chronicles topics

Africa American Corruption American Local Elections American State Elections Asia Capitalism and Big Business Celebrity Politics China Democracy Charity Democracy Protests Democrats Dictatorships Education Election History Election Methods Election Security Election Transparency Europe Internet and Democracy Journalism and Free Speech Middle East Minority Voting Rights Money Politics New York City and State Elections Political Artwork Political Dissidents Political Lobbying Redistricting Republicans Russia Socialism and Labor Social Media and Democracy South America Spying and Privacy Supreme Court Third Party Voter Access Voter ID Voter Registration Voter Suppression Voter Turnout Voting Technology Women Voting Rights Worldwide Worldwide Corruption

About DC Editors

We are your source for news on the all important effort to establish and strengthen democracy across the globe. Our international team with dozens of independent authors are your gateway into the raging struggle for free and fair elections on every continent with a focus on election reform in the United States. See our Facebook Page and also follow us on Twitter @demchron.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

democracy chronicles newsletter

democracy around the web

  • “Trump lawyers ask appeals court to move his...
    Source: Election Law Blog Published on: 1 hour ago
  • “Trump’s DOJ makes its most sweeping demand f...
    Source: Election Law Blog Published on: 18 hours ago
  • “The Standard of Proof in Racial-Gerrymanderi...
    Source: Election Law Blog Published on: 18 hours ago
  • Togo detains TV5 Monde journalist, forces del...
    Source: Committee to Protect Journalists Published on: 20 hours ago
  • “D.C.’s Stalwart in Congress Clings to Her Se...
    Source: Election Law Blog Published on: 22 hours ago