Hanoi (VNA) - The Hanoi Women for Peace and Development Festival 2024 opened in Hanoi on March 2.
Hanoi was recognised by the UNESCO as a City for Peace in 1999, becoming the only city in Asia-Pacific to earn the title. In 2019, the city joined the UNESCO Creative City Network (UCCN).
Over the years, the administration and people of Hanoi, including women, have worked hard to build and develop the city, making it more prosperous, civilised, and modern, deserving the position of the heart of the nation and a city of peace and creativity.
The festival aims to inspire the pride of women in the capital city on the glorious tradition of the international women's movement and Vietnamese women as well as the tradition of the heroic Hanoi with time-honoured culture, a city of peace, Vice President of the Vietnam Women's Association (VWA) Le Kim Anh said.
At the same time, the event is expected to spread the spirit of solidarity, connectivity, integration and development of women of Hanoi and the world for gender equality and women's progress, the official stated.
The festival featured various activities, including the introduction of culture, typical products, and food of Hanoi and other countries with 30 booths, as well as a walking tournament and a special art programme.
Earlier the same day, the first walking tournament themed “healthy and beautiful capital city's women” kicked off, drawing more than 300 athletes.
The organising board of the tournament called for donations to support needy women and children in the city, ensuring that no woman or child is left behind./.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on January 23 launched the first-ever study on women-owned small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has signed a decision approving a national action programme on women, peace and security for 2024-2030, a move to step up gender equality and women's role in ensuring peace, stability and sustainable development nationally and globally.
During the 2012-2022, the number of women-owned SMEs grew at an average rate of 2% annually, higher than the average growth rate of the business sector.
The art of traditional costume weaving has been gradually fading away in numerous localities, especially in ethnic minority areas. Given this, Mong ethnic women in the northern mountainous province of Đien Bien are doing their best to preserve and develop the age-old profession.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic is regarded as a cultural ambassador of Austria, with prestigious conductors like Mahler and Karajan who shape its legacy. Its New Year’s Concert, broadcast to over 90 countries annually, stands as a global symbol of classical music excellence.
PM Chinh lauded the press’s historic role in the nation’s fight for independence and its ongoing process of national development, affirming that the Government always highly appreciates the close partnership and steadfast support of press agencies and journalists nationwide.
In recent decades, Vietnam’s mainstream media has become a reliable and persuasive channel for showcasing the nation’s development policies and achievements, especially in economic matters, according to a senior assistant editor at the Times of India.
A hub for sharing best practices, the event aims to forge solutions for financial sustainability, public media contracts, audience engagement, content innovation, and newsroom restructuring. It is also a moment for Vietnam’s media to accelerate its progress and figure out what the “revolutionary press” means in a new era.
From “Thanh nien”, Vietnam’s first revolutionary newspaper founded by Nguyen Ai Quoc (later President Ho Chi Minh) on June 21, 1925, the revolutionary press has remained devoted to its sacred missions -accompanying the nation, serving the Fatherland, and working for the people.
The official launch of Emirates’ Dubai–Da Nang route on June 2 has sparked a “tourism revolution” for Vietnam’s central coastal city. Da Nang is emerging as a top destination for high-end travelers, particularly from the lucrative Middle Eastern market.
Bernama CEO Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said VNA has been a consistent and reliable partner in OANA, contributing actively to the regional media landscape through content sharing, coordination, and policy discussions. Their coverage of ASEAN and Indochina issues adds valuable perspectives. Bernama appreciates the collaboration with VNA.
In this era of global integration and digitalisation, the press must adopt modern multimedia models to not only meet increasing information and communication demands but also align with the broader socio-economic development of the country.
A master plan on implementation of recommendations accepted by Vietnam under the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) took effect on June 17.
Running until June 21, the festival brings together more than 80 central and local media organisations, featuring nearly 130 exhibition booths that cover the full spectrum of national life, encompassing economy, politics, culture, society, defence, security, and foreign affairs.
As of June 17, Ca Mau province had achieved its target of supporting the construction and renovation of 4,400 homes, with a total budget of over 235 billion VND (about 9 million USD).
Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) Le Quoc Minh has called for technology to be leveraged not to replace identity, but to enhance it—allowing Vietnamese journalism to reach both local and global audiences.
In recent years, with strong support from the Party and State, and building on its tradition as a heroic news agency, the VNA has not only actively participated in OANA but also proactively proposed various ideas for cooperation, helping shape a fresh image of effective media collaboration in the digital era, said VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.
An art performance at the festival (Photo: VNA) 
