UNESCO, Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training, Youth Union and CJ Group join hands to promote education for ethnic minority girls. Photo: Tran Hanh

An announcement ceremony of phase II of the project “We are ABLE – Promoting Gender Equality and Girls’ Education for Children in Ethnic Minority areas of Vietnam,” has been held in Hanoi on March 28.

Following the achievements from the first phase, Phase II of the “We are ABLE” project will be rolled out in Cao Bang, Kon Tum and Ninh Thuan provinces, aiming to empower ethnic minority youth, especially girls and young women, in boarding secondary schools and neighboring communities to overcome stereotypes and to voice and act on their dreams, hopes and aspirations in education.

Phase II will build skills and platforms and create an enabling environment for student-led communication and advocacy and strengthen Government commitment to education for ethnic minority children and youth, especially girls.

“We are ABLE” project phase II is implemented by UNESCO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training, Youth Union, and Today Magazine, with financial support from the CJ group.

Phase I of the project "We are ABLE – Achieving Better Living and Education" focuses on implementing in 12 districts in three provinces of Ha Giang, Ninh Thuan, and Soc Trang.

The project has reached 16,296 students, including 8,021 female students. In addition, 2,136 teachers and education administrators have been trained in gender-sensitive school counseling and thousands of others will be accessed through the nationwide online course rollout.

Some 120 ethnic minority women and youth were provided with entrepreneurship training. Over 100 ethnic minority women continue to be supported by the Commune Women's Union.

An awareness-raising communication at school in Phase I of the project "We are ABLE".

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the project announcement, Christian Manhart, UNESCO Representative to Vietnam said, Phase II of the project "We are ABLE" will continue empowering ethnic minority students, in particular in boarding secondary schools and youth in the neighboring communities, especially girls and young women, to overcome stereotypes and to voice and act on their dreams, hopes, and aspirations in education.

The project is expected to contribute to the National Education Development Strategic Plan 2021 - 2030 of the Vietnamese Government, the Ethnic Work Strategy, and the national commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals. sustainability, especially Goal 4 on Education and Goal 5 on Gender Equality, Manhart shared.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Education and Training will continue to be the main partner to implement the project together with UNESCO, while the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, a new partner of the project, will support the student-initiated communication and advocacy activities as well as promoting girls' education through outreach, local and national forums.

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