Even with the strong economic development that has led to better job opportunities for women in Vietnam, there is still a need to address problems of gender equality in the workforce. To help combat these issues, ASSIST together with the L’Oreal Foundation created a project called ‘Beauty for a Better Life’ that established mobile training centers in remote regions in Northern Vietnam that will provide beauty-training programs for underprivileged women in these areas that will help to develop their skills and capacities to become certified hairdressers and beauticians. The project is set to run from July 2019 – October 2021 in the target locations of Thanh Hoa, Ha Giang, Dien Bien, and Yen Bai in northern Vietnam.
The project’s main objectives are to help increase the number of empowered rural underprivileged women that are able to find a job or start self-made entrepreneurial activities and also to improve their economic perspective and well-being through skills in basic finance and small-scale business management. The project aims to uplift 320 women from these remote regions in North Vietnam as professional beauticians and hairdressers.
Despite challenges posed by COVID-19, two new training centers were established in selected provinces. On March 16, 2020, Bac Quang Vocational School organized an opening ceremony for the new training class in Ha Giang Province with the attendance of representatives from the Provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA), Provincial Women Union, vocational schools representatives, and 20 registered students. Additionally, last May 18, the Dien Bien Economic and Technical College organized their own opening ceremony for the training class in Dien Bien Province, participants included Dien Bien Television Station, Dien Bien DOLISA representative, vocational schools representatives, and 30 registered students.
