“Australia strongly commits to gender equality promotion in Vietnam. We are applying a whole-of-government approach to improving the quality of life for women and girls in Vietnam,” said Ms Rebecca Bryant, Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy in Hanoi.

“The ‘Integrating gender and social inclusion into agricultural value-chain research in Vietnam’ project is another effort to implement our Australia in Vietnam Gender Equality Strategy 2016 - 2020,” added Ms Bryant.

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Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy Rebecca Bryant speaking at the workshop

The project is funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). It works with 10 ACIAR projects (with total investment of AUD17 million - VND285 billion) focusing on value-chain in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. It is implemented by the International Potato Center (CIP) and three partner organizations: Institute of Social Development Studies (ISDS), Care International in Vietnam, and Oxfam in Vietnam.

Ending in December 2018, the project aims to address gendered social constraints and create opportunities to increase adoption of modern technologies for more sustainable intensification and enhance inclusive value-chain for ethnic minority women and men.

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Delegates participating at the event

The project has conducted six field studies to understand how gender norms and relations influence farming practices and to identify gender-based opportunities and challenges for ethnic minority women and men farmers. It organized three gender training sessions in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, and a gender-awareness workshop in Myanmar. The project also created an evidence database for gender transformative research and development, enhanced capacity for researchers, and established a network and knowledge hub for agricultural and gender scientists in the region.

Workshop participants include government officers and researchers from Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines, Laos and Cambodia, ethnic minority farmers from Moc Chau and Dien Bien, and ethnic minority university students.

Song Anh