Hai Phong, April 16, 2025 – Over 30 participants from DEEP C, Nam Dinh Vu, and Nam Cau Kien industrial parks and their tenant enterprises in Hai Phong City gathered for the workshop "Training on the Gender Equality Assessment Tool in Enterprises and Industrial Parks". The workshop was organised by the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the "Scaling up Eco-Industrial Park Approaches to Promote Circular Economy in Viet Nam" (GEIPP Viet Nam), the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

The workshop introduced and guided participants in using the Gender Self-Assessment Tool — an initiative developed by UNIDO — designed to help enterprises and industrial parks assess their integration of gender considerations across recruitment, training, working environment, and employee support policies. The tool also supports the development of targeted action plans to foster a fairer, safer, and more sustainable workplace.

In her opening remarks, Ms Nguyen Tram Anh, National Project Manager of GEIPP Viet Nam (UNIDO), emphasised that the tool plays a crucial role in achieving international social criteria for eco-industrial parks while also enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises within global supply chains.

Paving the way for detailed discussions, Ms. Emmi Ylinen, UNIDOs expert on sustainable industrial development, provided an overview of key concepts related to gender equality and womens empowerment in industrial settings and introduced a detailed guide to the assessment tool.

Participants engaged in hands-on exercises with the tool and discussed its practical application within their organisations. Preliminary findings revealed that 10–30% of gender-related activities had already been implemented, while 30% were partially implemented, and the remainder had not yet been addressed or faced limitations. Many enterprises also acknowledged the absence of systematic gender monitoring and the lack of integration of gender criteria in contractor selection or employee evaluations.

During the discussion sessions, participants praised the tools practicality, particularly its actionable recommendations, such as adjusting workplace arrangements to better support pregnant workers or employees with young children.

Ms. Emmi Ylinen noted: "This tool is a first step for enterprises to reflect on their current status of gender equality and to build action plans that translate commitments into real change."

Closing the workshop, Ms Adriana Alzate, Technical Lead and International Coordinator of the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) at UNIDO, underlined: "Gender equality is not just about achieving numerical balances. It is about ensuring that everyone—women, men, and people of diverse gender identities—has equal access to opportunities, rights, and respect." 

She further stressed that small, practical actions such as implementing fair recruitment policies, supporting family care responsibilities, and organising leadership development programs can lead to significant and lasting positive impacts. UNIDO remains committed to supporting enterprises on this journey, believing that through collaboration and shared efforts, we can advance this important process and create tangible, sustainable benefits for society as a whole.

Participating industrial parks and tenant enterprises are expected to complete their self-assessments and submit results to the PMU by July 30, 2025. To learn more about the workshop content and the Gender Equality Assessment Tool, please click the link.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The answer to the scenario: The surgeon is the boy’s mother.

Many people unconsciously associate certain professions with men, often assuming that a surgeon must be male due to gender bias in society.

In reality, the surgeon could be the boy’s biological mother. The father had passed away in the accident, and the mother, a surgeon, could not bring herself to operate on her son.

This question is designed to raise awareness about gender stereotypes in the workplace.

Women are fully capable of holding important and highly skilled positions, such as being a surgeon. This highlights the need to promote gender equality in employment and across society.