Vientiane: The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) in collaboration with Australia has launched the Women In Leadership (WIL) Program, which is designed to foster both individual and institutional change through structured components aimed at enhancing leadership capabilities among women.
According to Lao News Agency, the WIL Program encompasses three main components. The first, Building Leadership Capability, provides participants with a personalized learning journey focusing on leadership development, gender equality, and tools for driving equitable change. This component encourages the development of technical and interpersonal skills and offers opportunities for reflection, peer learning, coaching, and the creation of individual action plans addressing gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI).
The second component involves the integration of GEDSI within the workplace via a Training of Trainers approach. Participants will act as co-facilitators, delivering workshops and information sessions alongside senior leaders to promote the mainstreaming of GEDSI practices within MoES. The final component emphasizes institutional strengthening, allowing participants to apply their learning through practical workplace actions. This includes piloting a Gender Equality Management self-assessment tool and developing GEDSI projects to identify and improve workplace systems, policies, and practices.
A core group of 19 Lao Women's Union (LWU) committee members from MoES will be actively involved in all three components, supported by an additional 75 LWU members who will participate in professional development and gender equality training activities. Mr. Toulavanh Normeungsean highlighted that the WIL Program is a pathway for women to grow as leaders while promoting more gender-equitable and inclusive environments within MoES.
Ms. Soutsaychai Douangsavanh, Director of the Lao-India Entrepreneurship Development Center and President of LWU, MoES, emphasized the program's role in providing opportunities for LWU Committee members to develop leadership skills and learn collaboratively. She noted that when both men and women receive equal support to achieve their professional goals, it results in enhanced teamwork, increased productivity, and more positive work environments.