Towards sustainable development of women's leadership position

NDO - On December 13, in Hanoi, the Vietnam-Australia Center (VAC) in collaboration with Curtin University and the Center for Gender and Women's Leadership (GeLEAD) under the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics organized the Graduation Ceremony of the 6th Australian Government Scholarship Short Course "Journey to Support Women in Leadership" in 2024.

This is the 6th year the course has been held, bringing together 20 female leaders from the public and private sectors across the country, providing many opportunities to improve their leadership skills.

Through professional connections with many in-depth training activities and guidance from leaders, government officials, experts and scholars of great prestige and influence from Vietnam and Australia, trainees are supported to work better in their roles. This course contributes to realizing the educational cooperation commitments between the Australian and Vietnamese Governments, one of the important pillars of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed by the two sides.

The course provides practical knowledge and skills on gender equality, diversity and inclusion, and gender-sensitive management skills - key elements to increasing women's representation in leadership positions and mainstreaming gender in decision-making at all levels.

Graduation ceremonies are not only a time to recognize the achievements of graduates, but also a valuable opportunity to network. Graduates gain confidence and are ready to actively participate in decision-making within their organizations and institutions.

A roundtable discussion session introducing projects applying knowledge from the course.

The course participants have applied the knowledge and skills they have learned to successfully implement many application projects, including: Supporting policies for start-up projects at the Cultural Tourism Village of Ia Mo Nong Commune, Chu Pah District, Gia Lai Province; Developing and improving the quality of operations of agricultural cooperatives managed and operated by women in Tuyen Quang Province; Improving the capacity to produce high-quality livestock breeds with Vietnamese brands in Hung Yen Province; Improving the skills of using AI in communication for member organizations of the Hanoi Association of People with Disabilities (DP Hanoi), and many other projects.

These initiatives are in line with Vietnam’s National Strategy on Gender Equality (2021-2030), which aims to increase women’s participation in politics, economics and society. The programme helps to empower women, help them confidently participate in decisions within their organisations, and promote meaningful changes in social attitudes towards gender equality. At the same time, these projects have created positive impacts on organisations and communities, contributing to enhancing the role of women in society, contributing to building an equal and sustainable society.

Ms Julie Hart, First Secretary, Australian Embassy in Vietnam and Professor Linley Lord, Vice-Chancellor, Curtin Global, Curtin University, congratulated the students on completing the course.

Emphasizing that gender equality is a priority for the Australian Government and a focus of Australia’s international cooperation activities, Ms. Julie Hart, First Secretary, Australian Embassy in Vietnam, shared that this course, along with other gender-related support activities, is contributing to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries in public sector governance, promoting women in leadership, fostering leadership capacity and growing leadership networks.

Following the success of the previous 6 journeys, 20 other female leaders from the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Government of Vietnam will soon begin intensive training activities designed by leading experts from Australia and Vietnam, combined with experiential activities over the next 9 months of the 7th Women in Leadership Journey (WILJ7).

New to WILJ7 will be the inclusion of male leaders in a number of activities, recognizing the important role they play in promoting gender equality and building inclusive workplaces. Bringing diverse male perspectives into discussions about leadership and gender equality will enrich the conversation and lead to more inclusive solutions.

Discussion session introducing the initiative to connect the alumni community, exchange knowledge and experience.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet influential figures, expand their networks, enhance their knowledge and awareness of gender equality and leadership skills, and contribute to increasing the representation of women in leadership and decision-making positions at all levels.

Enhancing women’s leadership has always been a core mission of the Vietnam-Australia Centre (VAC). Initiatives to increase women’s presence and impact on decision-making in politics, the public sector and the private sector are always prioritized.

The Vietnam-Australia Centre (VAC) provides training, capacity building and research activities, bringing together Australian and Vietnamese experts to support Vietnam's future leadership in addressing national, regional and international challenges.

Curtin University is globally renowned for the quality of its teaching and research, placing it in the top 1% of universities worldwide in the 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/huong-den-phat-trien-ben-vung-vi-the-lanh-dao-cua-phu-nu-post850346.html