Canadian-funded project helps advance ethnic women’s economic empowerment

The hybrid meeting was jointly organized by the Lai Chau provincial People’s Committee, the Canadian Embassy and CARE International in Vietnam.

The nearly-4.6-million-CAD (USD 3.4 million) project is expected to assist more than 2,600 ethnic minority women and men in six communes in Ha Giang’s Quang Binh district and three communes in Lai Chau’s Tam Duong district over a course of four years.

The HCMC Women Union gifts women of ethnic minority groups.

In Lai Chau alone, it has invested more than VND 13 billion (USD 548,639) in the communes of Ban Bo, Then Sin, and Binh Lu. To date, nearly VND 1.9 billion of the sum have been disbursed.

As heard at the meeting, in the first year, the project focuses on completing its implementation plan and related studies in the province. The second year will see the building of a sustainable tea production model and non-tea livelihood models. The project will work on reducing gender burden and inequality regarding unpaid care and housework; and establish three networks to support poor people, rural residents and ethnic minorities.

Brian Allemekinders, head of the cooperation department at the embassy, said AWEEV aims to promote economic rights especially for poor women in rural and ethnic minority areas in Vietnam; and increase women's participation in paid economic activities.

Le Kim Dung, head of the CARE International in Vietnam, said CARE always listens to opinions of partners during the implementation process to integrate government and local resources, programs and projects for facilitating project activities.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Ha Trong Hai said the local authorities are committed to implementing the project for the best results.

Source: VNA