A symposium and graduation ceremony in Hanoi this week showcased their 20 application projects across Vietnam, the results of ten months of training in Vietnam and Australia.
Women in Leadership Journey 5 was delivered by Curtin University (Australia) in collaboration with the Centre for Gender Studies and Women’s Leadership (GeLEAD) under the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.
This is the fifth Women in Leadership Journey, a short course initiative under Aus4Skills’ Advancing Women in Leadership component since 2017 and is currently implemented under VAC. Five journeys have equipped over 100 Vietnamese public sector women leaders with valuable insights on gender equality and leadership through training with prestigious Vietnamese and Australian experts.
The short course aims to enhance women’s representation in leadership positions and the decision-making at all levels. It promotes gender equality and women's empowerment by providing more opportunities, enhancing self-confidence, and leveraging support from colleagues to enable women leaders to make a difference within organisations and their professional fields.
All participants of this fifth short course excelled through creative learning experiences and specialised trainings with guidance from influential leaders, government officials, and reputable scholars from Vietnam and Australia. They also met and exchanged ideas with inspirational figures from Australia, policymakers, legal experts, and disability policy experts.
Dr Luong Thu Hien, Director of the Gender and Leadership Studies Center (GeLEAD) at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA), said, “The short course offers practical, valuable support for Vietnamese women leaders to enhance leadership skills and expand their networks. All participants are leveraging knowledge gained from this course to contribute to eliminating gender stereotypes and boosting the consultation, planning and implementation of gender equality policies at work agencies and in Vietnam.”
H.E. Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam and Professor Vanessa Chang, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Business and Law, Curtin University, congratulates participants on completing the course.
Congratulating participants on completing the journey, H.E. Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, said, “This fifth group of Women in Leadership Journey will join a cohort of more than 100 amazing women. This cohort will grow to become a network which inspires more women to lead. Vietnam, like Australia has multiple futures and the road will be better if we walk it together as men and women together. I want to encourage women leaders to move forward with confidence to use the skills and the networks that you have developed to make Vietnam the best country can possibly be.”
After completing their training, participants developed and implemented application projects to promote gender equality in leadership and create positive changes in their workplaces and communities. These projects covered key areas such as mainstreaming gender in lawmaking, empowering economic access of ethnic women, increasing awareness on gender equality and gender-based violence, and many others.
Dr Ha Thi Thuy Duong, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics Region IV, said “The course has served as a lever for me to engage in raising awareness among leadership and managerial personnel regarding social integration issues and gender-based violence within families. This involves integrating these topics into two modules of the social science theory in the curriculum for teaching political theory to leadership and managerial personnel.”
Dr Ha Thi Thuy Duong’s project aims to increase gender equality and inclusion awareness among leaders in the Mekong Delta region.
Ms Ta Tuyet Nhung, Principal Official of the Agriculture Department, Office of the Government, said, “I’ve applied knowledge and skills in a project to help ethnic women in Muong Khuong establish and maintain their homestay businesses. While supporting others in this project, I also received lots of help from my mentor and my course mates. I think this is an example of how important for women in all public and private sectors to elevate each other to leadership positions and fulfil their goals.”
WILJ5 participant Ta Tuyet Nhung presents her project “Empowering economic access of ethnic women in the development of local ethnic tourism at Muong Khuong.”
Women in Leadership Journey is now a flagship course of VAC. It aligns with the centre’s goal of drawing together Vietnamese and Australian experts to enhance leadership capacity for Vietnam’s public sector. This will help Vietnam access and utilise skilled human resources, contributing to sustainable socio-economic development and strengthening bilateral relations between Vietnam and Australia.
