Project profile — Advancing women's economic empowerment in Vietnam

• Vietnam (100.00%)

• Democratic participation and civil society:
Democratic participation and civil society (15150) (10.00%)
Media and free flow of information (15153) (10.00%)
Women's rights organisations and movements, and government institutions (15170) (30.00%)
• Other Social Infrastructure And Services: Social/welfare services (16010) (10.00%)
• Agriculture: Agricultural development (31120) (30.00%)
• Industry: Agro-industries (32161) (10.00%)

• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (principal objective)
• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Nutrition (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (principal objective)

This project aims to improve the economic well-being of poor rural women, particularly ethnic minorities in Vietnam by increasing their participation in paid economic activities. This project aims to influence the provision of public services, infrastructure, childcare and social protection policies. This helps to reduce and redistribute the unpaid care work disproportionately shouldered by women and girls. This project targets a total of 4,885 participants (3,050 women/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; and (3) facilitating policy dialogues by studying the benefits of reducing unpaid care work to encourage government authorities to focus on investments in infrastructure.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) enhanced promotion of economic rights for poor rural and ethnic minority women in Vietnam, including in terms of unpaid work responsibilities; and (2) increased participation by poor rural and ethnic minority women in paid economic activities.

Results achieved as of March 2025 include: (1) 70 members of community-based organizations (CBO) (60 women and 10 men) and 15 media (5 men and 10 women) reported an improvement in their perception or opinion related to ethnic minority women's economic rights, surpassing the 60 CBO target for engagement; (2) 84.3% of ethnic minority women reported having meaningfully participated in the household decision-making, surpassing the 70% target for participation; (3) 76% of women demonstrated improved capacity to earn income, surpassing the 75% set as the project target. Similarly, 73% of men showed progress in their capacity to save money, close to the 75% target; (4) 80% of the 65 ethnic minority women who participated in training and applied for loans through the grassroots social enterprises (GSE) Loan Fund Boards reported increased confidence in developing market-based business plans; and (5) selected for financing support 3 business plans focusing on poultry farming, pig breeding, and duck egg hatchery. This is a direct result of the enhanced capacity for profitability, social impact, and climate resilience.

• Proactive disclosure
• Related activities:
• Advancing women's economic empowerment in Vietnam
• Advancing Women's Economic Empowerment in Vietnam
• Advancing Women's Economic Empowerment in Vietnam