New Zealand supports pandemic-hit informal female workers in central Vietnam

The New Zealand Embassy in Vietnam will provide 50,000 NZD (approx. 35,600 USD) to support more than 350 women workers in informal employment in Da Nang and Thua Thien-Hue over the next three months. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Embassy of New Zealand andActionAid Vietnam will together provide support for women workers in informalsectors in central Da Nang City and Thua Thien-Hue province under a newpartnership.

The New Zealand Embassy in Vietnam will provide 50,000 NZD(approx. 35,600 USD) to the project, which aims to reach more than 350 womenworkers in informal employment as street vendors, junk collectors, or househelpers, over the next three months.

Underscoring the importance of this project in the largerprogramme of support by New Zealand to Vietnam, New Zealand Chargé d'AffairesJoseph Mayhew said: “This is a practical initiative to help ease the economicimpacts of COVID-19 and strengthen the resilience of more than 350 womenworkers, and their families, in Da Nang and Hue’s informal sectors.”

“I believe that supporting women workers in sectors thatare hardest hit by the pandemic is a vital component of robust, inclusive, andequitable recovery,” he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted Vietnam's tourismindustry, with Da Nang and Thua Thien-Hue, the two major international tourismhubs particularly affected. The project includes training on household economicliteracy and management, women’s rights and child nutrition. The financialsupport can be used to purchase food, living essentials or small livelihoodoptions.

According to ActionAid Vietnam’s recent research, morethan 90 percent of the tourism sector’s workers lost employment and income dueto COVID-19. In Da Nang and Thua Thien-Hue, almost 90,000 people either becameunemployed or suffered from greatly reduced income. Only 22 percent of the surveyedworkers currently have access to the government’s 62-trillion-VND supportpackage.

“This project is one way to help women workers becomemore visible in the public eye, and at the same time trying to set up apractical model where support can be delivered to the target groups andindividuals in an efficient and transparent manner,” said Hoang Phuong Thao,Country Director of ActionAid Vietnam. “We want to contribute to thecommitments of Vietnam and New Zealand, of Leaving No One Behind in thestruggles to overcome COVID-19.”/.                                                                                    

VNA