A new aid project for Vietnamese women from remote areas has just been launched by the Australian government.
The Women’s Economic Empowerment through Agriculture Value Chain Enhancement (WEAVE) project was introduced today, August 12, by Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja, during her first visit to Vietnam.
“The WEAVE programme is the latest initiative in Australia’s on-going efforts to promote women’s economic empowerment in Vietnam,” said Ambassador Stott Despoja at the project launch ceremony in Hanoi.
The Australian government will provide A$2.5 million for a consortium comprised of international NGOs SNV, Oxfam and CARE International to implement the WEAVE project in Vietnam’s two north-western provinces of Lao Cai and Bac Kan. The project is scheduled to run for three years until 2019.
Women in Bac Can Province are reading a newspaper
The WEAVE project will support more than 1,800 women and men in Lao Cai and Bac Kan to improve their livelihoods. It will place particular emphasis on supporting women smallholder farmers and co-operatives to strengthen their skills in marketing, financial literacy, business planning, negotiation, and legal matters.
“This project will pave the way for a substantial new programme of Australian support for women’s economic empowerment in Vietnam’s north-west over the coming years,” the ambassador said.
As Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls, Ambassador Stott Despoja’s role is to promote Australia’s strong global commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
During her three-day visit to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Ambassador Stott Despoja is meeting a range of different organisations and individuals who are working to tackle gender inequality and promote women’s empowerment, including the Centre for Women in Politics and Public Administration, the Vietnam Women’s Union Centre for Women and Development, newly elected female National Assembly deputies, and the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs. Their work highlights the three priorities in Australia’s Strategy for Gender Equality, which are to enhance women’s voice decision making and leadership, promote women’s economic empowerment, and end violence against women and girls.
