HÀ NỘI – The Australian Government will provide A$2.5 million (US$1.9 million) for three international NGOs - SNV, Oxfam and CARE International – to support women in the northwestern provinces of Lào Cai and Bắc Kạn.

The funds will be used for the Women’s Economic Empowerment through Agriculture Value Chain Enhancement (WEAVE) project to be run until 2019, a press release said today.

WEAVE will support more than 1,800 women and men in Lào Cai and Bắc Kạn to improve their livelihoods. It will support women farmers and co-operatives to strengthen their skills in marketing, financial literacy, business planning, negotiation, and legal matters.

“Gender equality and women’s empowerment are top priorities in Australia, as well as in our foreign policy, economic diplomacy and overseas aid programme”, said Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja during her first three-day visit to the country as Ambassador for Women and Girls.

Despoja’s role is to promote Australia’s commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

During her three-day visit to Hà Nội and HCM City, Despoja is meeting a range of organisations and individuals who are working to tackle gender inequality and promote women’s empowerment.

Their work corresponds with the three priorities in Australia’s Strategy for Gender Equality, which are to enhance women’s voices in decision making and leadership, promote women’s economic empowerment, and end violence against women, according to the press release from Australian Embassy.

“No country in the world has fully solved gender inequality yet,” said Despoja. “I am here to share Australia’s challenges and lessons in tackling the issues that face women and girls, as well as to learn about Việt Nam’s progress in striving for greater gender equality.” — VNS