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| One of the priorities of Australia’s Gender Equality Strategy will be to improve women’s participation in decision-making and leadership. — Photo daidoanket.vn |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — The Australian government yesterday launched a Gender Equality Strategy for Việt Nam for the first time, outlining its plans to promote women’s empowerment in Việt Nam.
The strategy will be implemented by Australia’s diplomatic missions in Hà Nội and HCM City between 2016 and 2020 and will cover all Australian government agencies in Việt Nam.
The strategy will highlight Australia’s priorities for improving the quality of life for girls and women and support the Vietnamese government in its efforts to implement its National Gender Equality Strategy 2011-2020.
To reduce gender gap, the focus will be on three key areas: improving women’s participation in decision-making and leadership; promoting economic empowerment; and putting an end to violence against women.
“Gender equality is an important social policy priority for Việt Nam, as it is for Australia. It is also smart economics,” Australian ambassador Craig Chittick said while speaking at the launch in Hà Nội.
“Women bring particular perspectives, priorities and strengths from their own life experiences that contribute to the development of businesses, communities and the nation,” Chittick said. “Australia’s investment in women and girls in Việt Nam will be an important contribution to Việt Nam achieving its social and economic development objectives.”
Promoting women’s economic empowerment, including among ethnic minorities, is one of the three pillars of Australia’s development co-operation programme with Việt Nam for the period 2015-20. With more than AUD10 million (US$7.4 million) invested in gender-related programmes over the last few years, Australia is already one of the largest contributors for advancing gender equality in Việt Nam. Its newly launched Gender Equality Strategy will make its contribution more focused and purposeful.
The Australian government also hosted yesterday a Women in Leadership forum, to encourage the exchange of ideas on how to integrate the focus on women’s leadership through Australia’s scholarship and human resources development programme, and to discuss how it could collaborate with local partners to promote women’s careers. — VNS
