Australia promotes gender equality for stronger economies in Son La
VGP - A launching ceremony for the second phase of the Gender-Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT 2) program was held in the northern mountainous province of Son La on May 10.
A launching ceremony for the second phase of the Gender-Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT 2) program, Son La Province, May 10, 2024 - Photo: VNA
The event was co-hosted by the Son La provincial People's Committee and the Australian Embassy in Viet Nam.
Addressing the ceremony, Cherie Anne Russell, Counsellor for Development Cooperation at the Australian Embassy in Viet Nam said, the program has been underway in Son La since 2017, with an aim to empower ethnic minority women by increasing their income, fostering their voices within families and communities, and enhancing their self-reliance.
In the second phase, the program looks to integrate more tourism activities and continues effective models from the first phase, such as developing flax, bamboo shoots, rice and others to sustain their success and then scale them up.
Over 15,000 women, with 70 percent being ethnic minorities, are expected to benefit from GREAT 2 Son La through access to services such as market information, agricultural promotion, quality input materials, finance and credit.
GREAT is Australia's most significant gender investment in Viet Nam, totaling AUD33.7 million.
The program works with businesses, non-governmental organizations, government and civil society partners to build more inclusive business and market systems within the agriculture and tourism sectors in Son La and Lao Cai provinces.
It also works to ensure that local women and ethnic minorities actively participate in and benefit from related economic activities and growth./.
