Illustrative image (Source: Internet) Tra Vinh (VNA) - A training course on mainstreaming gender issues in implementing projects was held in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh by the Management Board of the project on developing local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (SME Tra Vinh project) from July 4-5.
The event aims to help staff from departments and sectors understand regulations and policies to support international development for women of the Canadian Government, which finances the SME Tra Vinh project, and Canada’s support programmes in Vietnam, and how to promote gender mainstreaming in the process of implementing activities in the project.
Trainees to the programme were equipped with basic knowledge about gender and gender equality; gender analysis in enterprise development; why gender issues need to be concerned in business development.
PhD Pham Thu Hien, a gender expert from a programme to support Canada-funded projects in Vietnam mentioned differences in size, reasons for business development, level of profit, access to credit, business sector, and experience in businesses owned by men and women.
Projects funded by the Canadian side in Vietnam are always concerned with gender issues, and their operations are required to be in line with Canada's international support policy for women, including empowering women, she said.
For SME Tra Vinh project, women and men are equal in participating in developing, implementing and benefiting from activities to support SMEs development in the locality, and mainstreaming gender into all activities is a fundamental requirement to contribute to promoting gender equality of the project.
Tra Vinh has 2,314 enterprises with a total capital of 27,613 billion VND. However, among these, small and medium-sized enterprises account for about 98 percent, so there were many limitations in accessing capital, science and technology, and markets.
The SME Tra Vinh project, carried out during 2014-2020, is sponsored by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade with a total investment of 12.1 million CAD (9.8 million USD), with 11 million CAD being non-refundable aid.
As many as 200 enterprises and more than 194,000 residents in 22 rural communes of Tra Vinh have benefited from the project.-VNA
VNA
