Australia-funded GREAT 2 Lao Cai Project Supports Nearly 6,000 Households

	More Than VND 1 Billion Provided to Support Flood-Affected Households in Dak Lak
	Cash Support for Over 1,000 Households in Dak Lak and Gia Lai

According to the report presented at the meeting, the GREAT 2 Lao Cai Project is funded through non-refundable assistance from the Australian Government and is being implemented in its second phase from 2022 to 2027. The project aims to enhance women’s economic empowerment, particularly for ethnic minority women; promote gender equality and social inclusion; and strengthen climate change resilience in the areas of natural resources, agriculture, and tourism.

The Steering Committee of the project “Promoting Gender Equality through Enhancing the Economic Efficiency of Agricultural Production and Tourism Development in Lao Cai Province” (GREAT 2 Lao Cai Project) convened a regular meeting to review implementation progress, discuss the Year 3 activity plan, and propose budget allocations for several sub-projects. (Photo: Nguyen Hien/laocai.gov.vn)

The project adopts a market systems development approach to strengthen the economic empowerment of ethnic minority communities while ensuring that women have equitable access to quality training and vocational services, including those related to digital economy development.

The objective of the GREAT 2 project is to help women, particularly ethnic minority women, improve their economic benefits; enhance their confidence and social status, including sharing household workloads and participating more actively in decision-making within families, workplaces, and communities; and benefit from more gender-responsive, inclusive, and effective policies, plans, strategies, and programs at both provincial and national levels.

To date, Lao Cai has eight sub-projects under implementation. Among them, two have completed the inception phase and are awaiting approval, while three ongoing sub-projects show potential for expansion.

By the end of 2025, the project had supported 5,906 households, with 3,750 women benefiting; 187 women-led enterprises had been newly registered; and 88.7% of women had applied the knowledge and skills acquired through training in practice.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Lao Cai Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Sinh requested that the project continue to review and adjust budget allocations among its components in line with the ongoing administrative unit reorganization and the practical needs of the locality. He also called for strengthened specialized technical support, particularly in the areas of sustainable tourism, destination management, human resource training, inclusive digital transformation, and the integration of gender equality. The Lao Cai provincial leadership pledged to direct relevant departments and sectors to effectively implement the project.

At the meeting, Naomi Cook, Counsellor for Development Cooperation at the Australian Embassy in Viet Nam, commended Lao Cai province for its implementation results and affirmed that the Australian Government would continue to accompany and support the locality in implementing the project on schedule, contributing to delivering tangible benefits for local people.

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