DPC organizes a workshop to discuss about the Global Gender Gap Report 2021 and the Impact of COVID-19 pandemic to the Lao women entrepreneurs.

Vientiane Capital, 29 June 2021, the Department of Planning and Cooperation (DPC), Ministry of Industry and Commerce organized a virtual workshop to discuss the Global Gender Gap Report 2021 and the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Lao women entrepreneurs under the support of Lao Competitiveness and Trade Project (LCT). More than 30 participants from the Implementation Agencies (IAs) within the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and other line ministries attended this workshop.

The workshop was co-chaired by Mr. Sengphanomchone Inthasane, the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Planning and Cooperation, and Ms. Sommaiy Phommounivong, the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Organisation and Personnel, Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

Mr. Sengphanomchone Inthasane emphasized the workshop’s objectives that: “the workshop was the discussion forum to share knowledge and experience about gender issues in the society, especially the Global Gender Gap Report 2021 from World Economic Forum, and other reports about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic 2021 to the Lao women entrepreneurs. This will be helpful to further improve the gender action plan in each component of the LCT project.
In addition, Ms. Sommaiy Phommounivong, also stressed gender equality and the mainstreaming gender in trade and development sectors.

The workshop ran through the schedule starting from the presentation on Global Gender Report 2021, reflecting on the overview of the gender situation to 2021 without COVID-19, and the presentation of the impact of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic on the Lao economy, especially to the Lao women entrepreneurs, by data collected by other organizations.

During the workshop, the participants openly discussed gender issues regarding the agenda of the workshop. Also, the participants contribute to the workshop assessment before the closing remark from the chairman. This will be the reference for improvement in future workshops.

The workshop 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.