CARE Canada

Purpose

This project aims to improve the economic well-being of poor rural women, particularly ethnic minorities in Vietnam by increasing women’s participation in paid economic activities. The project also aims to challenge discriminatory gender norms by addressing the root causes of the unequal distribution of care work placed on women in Vietnam. At the national level, this project aims to influence the provision of public services, infrastructure, childcare and social protection policies. This helps to reduce mobility barriers, reduce and redistribute the unpaid care work disproportionately shouldered by women and girls. Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment in Vietnam (AWEEV) targets a total of 4,885 participants (3,050 women and 1,835 men) in 15 communes of Ha Giang and Lai Chau provinces. This project is supporting 1,550 EM women, predominantly tea and ginger farmers, along with 150 women identified for women-led grassroots social enterprises (GSEs). Additionally, the project seeks to support 1,085 EM men to participate in activities such as agricultural training and gender-responsive dialogues. AWEEV indirectly benefits 12,000 household members of EM beneficiaries. Project activities include: (1) providing technical assistance for gender-responsive and inclusive governance with duty bearers, particularly village chiefs and communal officers; (2) providing technical assistance on organizing production and sustainable, climate-smart agricultural practices to rural and ethnic minorities, particularly women; (3) organizing community events promoting gender equality; and (4) facilitating policy dialogues by studying the benefits of reducing unpaid care work to encourage government authorities to focus on investments in infrastructure.