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Hanoi, 9/05/2024 – This week marks a significant milestone as the People's Committees of Lao Cai province and Son La province, and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam launched further investment in the Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) Program.
GREAT is a flagship initiative of the Australian Government, dedicated to enhancing the social and economic status of ethnic women living in Lao Cai and Son La provinces. The second phase of this 10-year program will be implemented through to 2027 in almost all districts and cities in the two provinces.
The investment collaborates with agriculture and tourism businesses to strengthen their productivity to deliver high quality products and services. This is achieved through training on leadership, business, production techniques, and connecting them with suppliers and financial resources. Additionally, GREAT will bring digital skills and technologies into business. The Program will reach nearly 30,000 women, with 70% from ethnic minority groups.
Since 2017 the Program has successfully improved women’s status within the household, community, and business, attributed to their increased skills and increased incomes. Leveraging this success, GREAT will replicate and expand successful models that increase women’s economic empowerment.
GREAT aligns with and supports the Government of Vietnam’s National Target Programs for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, Sustainable Poverty Reduction, New Rural Development, and the National Strategy for Gender Equality. Innovative approaches developed by GREAT are models for inclusive implementation of these essential National Target Programs.
Ms Cherie Russell, Development Counsellor, Australian said at the launch ceremony "The productive land and natural beauty of Lao Cai and Son La provinces provide many opportunities for agriculture and tourism businesses. Through GREAT, women, particularly ethnic minority women, will equally benefit from the growth of these industries." She added "Australia is proud to support innovative approaches that connect women and their businesses to buyers and markets, enabling them to generate benefits for themselves, their families, and their communities, and significantly contribute to the sustainable growth of the provinces."
The Australian Government will provide official development assistance of up to AUD 67.4 million over a 10-years for GREAT to create equitable opportunities for women living in mountainous areas of Vietnam.
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Contact information:
Ho Thi Minh Ngoc (Ms.)
Communication Specialist | GREAT Program
M: 909 782 384 | E: [email protected]