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Viet Nam workshop uses Education for Sustainable Development model for gender mainstreaming

Education planners in Viet Nam held a workshop using the example of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to mainstream gender sensitivity and responsiveness in analysis, planning and management.

As part of the government initiative “Gender Equality and Girls’ Education: Empowering girls and women for a more equal society”, the Ministry of Education and Training of Viet Nam (MOET) organized a workshop on 11 December 2015 to provide a situation analysis and identify solutions for enhancing gender mainstreaming in the Education Sector.

More than 30 participants came from the Department of Science, Technology and Environment (DSTE), the focal department for the ESD Initiative in Viet Nam; the Viet Nam National Institute for Education and Science (VNIES); and local Departments of Education and Training (DOETs) as well as national experts. Representatives from UNESCO Headquarters and UNESCO Viet Nam provided technical assistance and support.

Targeting girls and women in vulnerable situations

As a result of the workshop, recommendations were made on: the development and amendment of gender equality policies, especially for girls and women in vulnerable situations; the improvement of gender-based educational statistics to facilitate gender integration across educational development planning; and the strengthening of the planning capacities of officials on gender integration in educational development plans. Mr Nguyen Ngoc Vu of MOET said: “training on gender mainstreaming in Education Sector analysis and planning is vital, as it helps bridge the gaps between varying approaches to analysis, content, planning procedures and policies.”

The role of educating and raising the awareness of future generations on Education for Sustainable Development was particularly highlighted, especially in relation to the National Target Program on Climate Change, which emphasizes the importance of education and gender equality as a guiding principle of sustainable development. Furthermore, the programme requires the evaluation of vulnerable groups highlighting the potential impacts of climate change on women, which can be addressed through Target 4.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Gender integration must be inclusive

Ms Maki Hayashikawa from UNESCO Headquarters, Paris emphasized this point and recommended that gender integration and mainstreaming should not only be figure-bound, but more inclusive, providing both qualitative and quantitative data for Education Sector monitoring and analysis.

Through close consultation with UNESCO experts, members of MOET will review and finalize the recommendations based on the issues addressed during the workshop. They will be approved and issued by the Ministry for use in the next planning period of the Education Sector.

Gender equality is a global priority of UNESCO and is linked to UNESCO’s efforts to promote the right to education and support the achievement of national development goals in Viet Nam.