Following up the success of the “Nora’s Sisters” seminar in Hanoi March 2009, the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the National Committee for the Advancement of Women, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Vietnam, co-organized similar seminars in September and October 2009 in 4 main regions of the country.
The seminars were held in the Northern mountain areas - Lao Cai (29-30.09.09), the central of Vietnam- Thua Thien (14-15.09.09), the Highlands - Dak Lak (22-23.09.09), and the Mekong Delta - Tien Giang (06-07.10.09).
Like the previous “Nora’s Sisters” seminar, these seminars aimed to bring issues of gender equality to the forefront in Vietnam by using the Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen and his work as a source of inspiration and point of departure, in efforts of raising awareness on women’s equal rights in the family and within employment. The seminars also aimed at providing inputs for gender policy development and implementation in the different provinces.
Based on the specific social-economic features of each province, the seminars in Lao Cai and Thua Thien – Hue focused on women’s equal rights in the family whereas in Dak Lak and Tien Giang the focus was on women’s equal rights in labour and employment. The issues enlightened both cultural and political perspectives.
During the seminars, site visits to a number of gender equality programs implemented in the different provinces also provided the participants of the seminars with first-hand experience in the field which is useful for their practical daily work.
Participants included representatives of MOLISA, NCFAW and the Norwegian Embassy, in addition to different relevant agencies, organizations, and NGOs working on gender related issues.
Read more about Gender Equality and Gender Research in Norway on www.gender.no