Australia reaffirms its commitment to gender equality
On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2012, Australia’s Global Ambassador for Women and Girls, Penny Williams, reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to investing in women and girls across the globe.
Ambassador Williams said “Investing in women is not just the right thing to do but the smart thing to do… For this reason, Australia is positioning women at the core of our development policies and programs – giving women access to markets, capital, and skills and knowledge; and working to ensure that every girl in the world gets to school”.
Australia has a strong history of supporting gender equality in Vietnam. Australia’s assistance has included helping Vietnam draft a new gender equality law in 2005-06, supporting the integration of gender equality goals in Vietnam’s Socio-economic Development Plan for 2011-15, supporting an assessment of the impact of WTO accession on rural women and, most recently, with the World Bank, helping Vietnam undertake its 2011 Country Gender Assessment.
Australia has also helped Vietnamese women in many provinces access vocational training, markets, clean water and hygienic sanitation. Around 60 per cent of the 300 scholarships Australia provides annually to Vietnam are provided to Vietnamese women.
Australian Ambassador to Vietnam HE Mr Allaster Cox said, “The Australian Government is committed to remaining a firm and persistent advocate and practical supporter of gender equality. In Vietnam, as in other places around the world, we have identified gender equality as a critical cross-cutting theme in our aid program”.
“Our aid program will focus on areas where Australia can help Vietnam achieve specific national gender equality objectives, including improved access for poor women to economic resources, education, and management and leadership positions.”
Australia is Vietnam’s 6th largest development cooperation partner, providing AUD138 million to Vietnam in ODA for the 2011-2012 financial year.
For further information, please contact Ms Dinh Thi Viet Anh, Public Affairs and Media Liaison Manager, Australian Embassy in Hanoi (phone: 04 3774 0232, mobile: 0903 423 440, email: [email protected]).