Last week, the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province, the People’s Committee of Son La province, and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam jointly organised the Launching Ceremonies of the second phase of the Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) Program.

GREAT is a flagship bilateral initiative between the Vietnamese Government and the Australian Government aiming to improve the social and economic status and resilience of ethnic women living in Lao Cai and Son La provinces. The second phase of this 10-year program will be implemented from 2022 in almost all districts and cities in the two provinces with the total budget of AUD33.7 million.

Since the Phase 1 (2017-2022), the Program has successfully improved women’s status within the household, community, and business environments due to their increased skills and confidence. Building on this success, in the next five years, GREAT will scale up and replicate successful models and support to increase gender inclusion and responsiveness in national and provincial supportive policies and programmes that will deliver positive sustainable change for ethnic minority women and their communities.

The investment works with agriculture and tourism businesses to strengthen their productivity and capacity to provide quality products and services by offering training on leadership, business, production techniques, connecting them with suppliers and financing business improvements. Additionally, it will bring digital skills and technologies into production and business to enhance women’s economic and social participation. Approximately, the Program will impact nearly 30,000 women, 70% from ethnic minority groups.

GREAT supports the implementation of Vietnam’s National Target Programs for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, Sustainable Poverty Reduction, New Rural Development, and the National Strategy for Gender Equality. Innovative approaches developed through GREAT serve as models for inclusive implementation of these essential initiatives nationally.

 “The rich agriculture and natural beauty of Lao Cai and Son La provinces present substantial opportunities for agriculture and tourism businesses. Through Project GREAT, women, particularly ethnic minority women, will equally benefit from the growth of these sectors,” stated Mr. Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam. “Australia is proud to support innovative approaches that connect women and their businesses to buyers and markets, enabling them to generate benefits for themselves, their families, and their communities, and significantly contribute to the sustainable growth of the provinces.”

In April 2024, representatives from the Australian Government and the People’s Committees of Lao Cai and Son La provinces signed the Project Implementation Agreement, establishing a critical legal basis for the official implementation phase in both provinces.

Through GREAT, the Australian Government will provide development assistance of up to AUD 67.4 million over a 10-year period to create equitable opportunities for women living in mountainous areas of Vietnam.