Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Training for USAID Trade Facilitation Program

The program has worked with the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) to strengthen Vietnam's National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) and Working Groups, streamline border clearance procedures, and train national and provincial customs officials and staff from other ministries. The promotion of gender equality at key government agencies is an integral part of USAID's work towards a prosperous and secure Vietnam that is effective and inclusive in tackling its own development challenges. In this context, the program annually organizes a training on Gender and Social Inclusion to build capacity of gender and gender equality in trade facilitation for USAID Trade Facilitation Program personnel and key counterparts at the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC). The training course for Vietnam Customs was delivered on September 21st, 2021, in the form of virtual training due to the social distancing policy during the widespread of the new Covid-19 wave. The training was divided into two sessions, with 50 customs officials participating in each session. The training was presented with the leaders of Vietnam Customs School (VCS) and was a combination of the school's regular general knowledge induction training course. Prior to the training, a training need assessment (TNA) was carried out in the form of online survey questionnaire to get an understanding about the gender-sensitive knowledge and expectations of the Custom officials. The TNA collected 41 respondents, with 25 men and 16 women. The findings of the TNA indicated that few people have learned about Social Inclusion, Diversity, and Intersectionality, Gender-based Violence, Gender Stereotype, Gender Integration, Women Economic Empowerment, and Gender and Trade Custom. The training objectives were to enable participants to understand and recognize gender issues, including harmful practices in daily lives and work that hamper opportunities for both women, men, and others, including the most disadvantaged groups in society. By the end of the training, participants were expected to appreciate measures of gender mainstreaming/integration, understand the importance of creating respectful and inclusive environments, and recognize the role of gender in trade and development. The training course for USAID TFP staff was delivered on December 17th, 2021, in the form of hybrid training with the presence of 21 staff, in which 16 attended in-person and 5 others attended virtually via Zoom platform. The training was divided into two parts, with the morning session focusing on gender and social inclusion knowledge and the afternoon session focusing on the presentation of gender activity results and recommendations for action reported in the Mid-Term Review. The detailed results of the two training courses indicate that participants gained a better understanding of gender-related issues and the importance of creating respectful and inclusive environments. The training also helped participants to appreciate measures of gender mainstreaming/integration and recognize the role of gender in trade and development. The training outcomes were positive, with participants showing a high level of engagement and participation throughout the training sessions. The training package included consolidation of the pre-training need assessment results, well-designed training content outline/agenda, and training materials tailor-made for customs and all-staff. The analysis of the learning results and training's effectiveness was also included in the training package. The consultant report contained the training syllabus, recommendations for the Program's opportunities to support women's economic empowerment and gender equality in trade facilitation in Vietnam, and suggestions for improving future trainings. The USAID Trade Facilitation Program has made significant progress in promoting gender equality and social inclusion in trade facilitation in Vietnam. The training courses have been instrumental in building the capacity of gender and gender equality in trade facilitation for USAID Trade Facilitation Program personnel and key counterparts at the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC). The program's efforts to promote gender equality and social inclusion have contributed to a more inclusive and equitable trade facilitation environment in Vietnam.