LNCCI organized a seminar on “Women Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming” to celebrate Lao Women’s Union Establishment Day

Vientiane Capital, 23 July 2021, Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, organized a seminar on “Women Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming”. The objective of the meeting was to celebrate the Lao Women’s Union Establishment Day and provide training regarding Gender Mainstreaming, Laws and Regulations regarding women’s rights, and introduction to digital marketing. The meeting is supported by the Lao Competitiveness and Trade (LCT) project.

The seminar is co-chaired by PhD Valy Vetsaphone, Vice President of LNCCI, National Assembly Member, the Director of the Women’s Unit of the LNCCI, Mr. Sengphanomchone Inthasane, the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Planning and Cooperation (DPC), Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC), and Ms. Hannah Wurf, Second Secretary (Economic and Trade), Australian Embassy in Laos. Approximately 50 participants from the Australian Embassy, MOIC, LNCCI and private sectors attended this seminar.

Ph.D. Valy Vetsaphone, Vice President of LNCCI and National Assembly Member, provided an opening remark that it is necessary for women to have the capability and opportunity to participate in socio-economic development. Therefore, I proposed organizing this event on behalf of the LNCCI and the private sectors.

Mr. Sengphanomchone Inthasane, the Deputy Director-General of DPC, MOIC, emphasized the importance of gender mainstreaming in trade and all components under the LCT project through the Gender Strategic Action Plan for the LCT project, managed by the DPC, MOIC.

Ms. Hannah Wurf, the Second Secretary (Economic and Trade), Australian Embassy in Laos, also provided a comment on her opening remark that Australia is a long-term donor to the Lao PDR Competitiveness and Trade Project, which establish the Gender Strategic Action Plan that considers gender equality across all the different project activities. We all learnt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Lao women entrepreneurs through the LNCCI survey and other reliable sources, which leads to the effort of organizing today’s event.

During the seminar, the participants discussed gender mainstreaming and the Laws and Regulations on the Resistance and Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children. Together with this, the participants also exchanged their lessons on the digital marketing they experienced. PhD Valy Vetsaphone, Vice President of LNCCI and National Assembly Member, closed the meeting by acknowledging the LCT project and the DPC, MOIC and the Australian Embassy to support this event.
The seminar was supported by Lao Competitiveness and Trade Project (LCT), which is funded by The World Bank Group, Australian Aid, Irish Aid, and USAID. The purpose of the project is to reduce and eradicate constraints of business growth by the technical and budget assistance to improve business environment as well as to improve the regulatory environment, lowering trade costs and raising firm-level competitiveness.