Ministry of Education and Sports and Australia launch Women In leadership Program

On 18-20 May 2026 at Naparkkaung Meeting Room, Thoulakom District, Vientiane Province, the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR (MoES), with support from Australia through the BEQUAL program, has launched the Women In Leadership Program (WIL). Dr. Toulavanh Normeungsean, Director General of Personnel Department chaired this first training and there are around 30 participants.

The WIL Program is structured around three complementary components that together support both individual and institutional change. The first component is Building Leadership Capability, which provides participants with a personal learning journey focused on leadership development, understanding gender equality, tools for driving equitable change, communication, lifelong learning, and soft skills. This component is intended not only to strengthen technical and interpersonal skills, but also to create space for reflection, peer learning, coaching, and the development of individual gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) action plans.

Second, the WIL program supports GEDSI integration in the workplace through a Training of Trainers approach. WIL participants will be co-facilitators, delivering information sessions and workshops with senior leaders and staff across MoES to promote GEDSI mainstreaming in practice.

Third, the program includes MoES institutional strengthening, which focuses on translating learning into practical workplace action. Participants will pilot a Gender Equality Management (GEM) self-assessment tool in their workplace as well as develop and deliver GEDSI projects. Through the roll-out of the GEM tool participants will be able to identify which aspects of workplace systems, policies and practices need to be improved to create a more enabling environment for women’s advancement.