Ethnic Minority Communities, Especially Women, Who Often Face Disadvantages in Economic Processes, Particularly in Digital Transformation, Will Be Placed at the Center of Support Activities...
Ethnic Minority Women Will Be Placed at the Center of Support Activities
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Recently, the IDAP Project "Enhancing the Inclusive Digital Transformation Ecosystem for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)" in the provinces of Lào Cai and Sơn La was officially launched. The IDAP project is implemented by KisStartup, an organization supporting innovation in businesses and providing startup mentoring, with funding from the GREAT project—an initiative funded by the Australian Government and managed by Cowater International.
OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT AND EMPOWER ETHNIC MINORITY WOMEN
The IDAP project aims to promote digital transformation for SMEs in Lào Cai and Sơn La from 2024 to 2027, with a focus on agriculture and tourism.
IDAP not only provides digital transformation skills and tools but also approaches the market system to ensure inclusivity and sustainability for the entire business ecosystem. Ethnic minority women, who often face disadvantages in economic processes, especially in digital transformation, will be placed at the center of the support activities.
Mr. Roger Oakeley, Chief Advisor of the GREAT 2 project, stated that a crucial factor in implementing the project is ensuring that ethnic minority communities, especially ethnic minority women, are not left behind.
“This is an opportunity for us to support and empower ethnic minority women,” Mr. Oakeley said. “The GREAT project is an opportunity to build digital infrastructure, provide business solutions, and help ethnic minority women understand that they must always move forward and develop.”
Ms. Nguyễn Đặng Tuấn Minh, Manager and Co-founder of KisStartup, the organization supporting business innovation and startup mentoring, said: “We recognize that digital tools are just tools unless there is the necessary awareness about changes in business models and leadership mindset.”
Therefore, instead of focusing solely on guiding platforms and channels, KisStartup has taken a parallel approach, innovating business models, enhancing human resources, and changing market perceptions while integrating digital tools.
Having participated in the first phase of the GREAT project and now seeking to enhance collaborative capacity in the second phase, Ms. Bùi Phương Thanh from Noong Piêu Cooperative (Phiêng Khoài commune, Yên Châu district, Sơn La province) shared: “After practicing business models and creating customer profiles, I have clearly identified the next steps in my career.”
Currently, Noong Piêu Cooperative has become the first unit in Vietnam to export plums to four EU countries. According to Ms. Thanh, connecting businesses, cooperatives, and creating a mutual support community is essential for these units to grow stronger together in the future.
LIMITED RESOURCES AND HUMAN CAPITAL FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Mr. Lê Hồng Phong, Deputy Director of the ODA Project Management and Investment Construction Department of Lào Cai province, mentioned that while implementing the technical assistance and digital transformation project for small, medium, and micro enterprises in Lào Cai, “We realized that there are hardly any large enterprises here, mostly SMEs and even micro-enterprises.”
“Currently, we cannot fully reach SMEs and cooperatives to involve them in the project. Therefore, we need to provide adequate information to all parties so they can assess their needs and desire to participate,” Mr. Lê Hồng Phong said.
“Specifically, for SMEs, particularly those led by women, I hope to receive a list as soon as possible to pass information and connect with business management units, cooperatives, and cooperative unions in the districts. This will help enhance interaction and participation from these units in the project.”
Another point Mr. Lê Hồng Phong emphasized is that, for Lào Cai province, while digital transformation is receiving significant attention, the resources and quality of human capital are still limited, making it difficult to help units access and implement digital solutions.
“Therefore, we hope KisStartup can arrange additional human resources and dedicate more time and effort to supporting the digital transformation process in Lào Cai,” Mr. Lê Hồng Phong said.
According to Mr. Roger Oakeley, Chief Advisor of the GREAT 2 project, cooperation among stakeholders in the digital transformation process, between local and national units, is very important. Service providers need to understand the needs of the local community and respond to those needs. To do this, they must be familiar with the characteristics, culture, and factors of each region.
“The entire project needs to understand the situation, environment, and environmental and social barriers to promote business. We cannot achieve the goals without active and proactive participation from all stakeholders,” said the Chief Advisor of the GREAT 2 project.
In particular, support is not only necessary during the project phase but must also be sustained afterward because all development needs to be sustainable.
“Sustainability is the key term, including building capacity for the local community. For projects and networks to develop sustainably, active participation from the local community is required, with the skills and knowledge needed to drive the ecosystem and digital transformation system, ultimately leading to long-term business development and growth,” Mr. Roger Oakeley said.
For more information about the project, Ms. Nguyễn Đặng Tuấn Minh, Manager and Co-founder of KisStartup, mentioned that the IDAP project is designed to strengthen an inclusive digital transformation ecosystem, connecting SMEs with resources from universities, service providers, human resources, and business support organizations.
With the goal of building comprehensive capacity, IDAP not only helps businesses improve revenue and expand markets through online channels but also facilitates the effective use of digital transformation solutions, especially for ethnic minority women leading businesses, connecting them with service providers and support organizations to enhance business effectiveness through digital transformation.
Source: VnEconomy News
