In partnership with Investing in Women, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Ho Chi Minh City Regional Branch (VCCI-HCM) is leading efforts to reshape Vietnam’s caregiving sector with a gender lens. Through the GRACE Project, VCCI-HCM is working to improve the quality of aged care, recognise non-medical caregiving as a quality job, and promote a more balanced sharing of care responsibilities so women caregivers have opportunities to contribute to the economy. Hear more about this ambitious initiative from Ms. Bùi Thị Ninh, Deputy General Director of VCCI-HCM and GRACE Project Lead.

About the Partnership: Investing in Women and VCCI-HCM have joined forces to improve the quality of care for older persons and support women’s economic participation by reducing their unpaid care responsibilities and connecting trained caregivers with employers. Through the GRACE Project, VCCI-HCM is working with Melbourne Polytechnic to develop a standardised micro-credential training for caregivers tailored to Vietnam’s context, and engaging industry stakeholders to build comprehensive career pathways for caregivers. Together, we are committed to building a more inclusive and equitable society—where caregivers are valued, older persons receive comprehensive care, and women have greater opportunities to thrive in the economy.

SwipeRx is pioneering a new technology-equipped community pharmacy model aimed at fostering gender responsive aged care in Vietnam through its partnership with Investing in Women. In this video, Josselyn Neukom, Public Health Senior Vice President & GEDSI Expert of SwipeRx, shares how the partnership is leveraging its app for pharmacy professionals to provide access to accredited training on delivering aged care services for over 16,000 community pharmacists, many of them owned and led by women. By helping community pharmacies better serve older clients, the initiative also aims to support women in rebalancing care responsibilities, enabling them with more time and opportunities to contribute to the economy.

About the Partnership: Investing in Women and SwipeRx partner to strengthen the role of community pharmacies in addressing Vietnam’s growing aged care needs. Our collaboration supports community pharmacists in providing basic health counseling, chronic disease screening, and support for older adults at home though a technology-enabled platform. The initiative will also build a community-based support network and identify affordable health-tech solutions that could improve the quality of at-home aged care and reduce women’s unequal share of care responsibilities.

In this video, Ms Stephanie Copus Campbell AM, Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equality, emphasises that addressing the barriers faced by women and girls not only promotes equality but also leads to better outcomes for all.

Including women equally in economic decision-making has the potential to unlock trillions of dollars in economic growth. For instance, when women have access to the same agricultural resources as men, global food security can improve significantly, feeding millions. Additionally, women’s involvement in climate change decision-making ensures that solutions are inclusive and effective. Australia’s commitment to gender equality underscores the belief that meaningful progress at every level—local, national, and global—is only possible when gender equality is prioritised across all policies and programs.

This video highlights the comprehensive strategic partnership between Australia and Vietnam, and the commitment of both nations to gender equality. HE Mr Andrew Goledzinowski, Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam, shares that as Comprehensive Strategic Partners, both nations are working closely across multiple areas, including economics, education, technology, and innovation. Gender equality is a key focus, which both nations recognise as essential to achieving sustainable economic and social progress.

While there’s more work to do, Australia and Vietnam are committed to sharing knowledge and experiences to drive further progress. This cooperative effort reflects a shared belief that inclusive decision-making leads to better outcomes for all.

With the support of Investing in Women (IW), the Indonesia Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (IBCWE) helps businesses put workplace gender equality principles into practice. IBCWE guides companies to assess their current stance on gender equality and develop clear action plans to implement and monitor progress, ensuring that equality in the workplace becomes a reality across Indonesia.

About the Partnership: Investing in Women and IBCWE are empowering businesses to embrace inclusive practices, offering resources, case studies, and tools to support gender equality initiatives in the workplace. Through this collaboration, IW and IBCWE are fostering more diverse and equitable workplaces, contributing to more inclusive economic growth in Indonesia.

In the Philippines, Oxfam Pilipinas is making significant strides toward gender justice by ensuring that women's voices and rights are always at the forefront of development planning. Oxfam Pilipinas is committed to amplifying women’s voices in political, economic, and social spaces. By providing advocacy support and creating opportunities for women to claim their rights, Oxfam ensures that gender justice remains central to the country’s progress toward equality.

About the Partnership: IW and Oxfam Pilipinas have come together to advance gender equality by placing women at the centre of development initiatives. Through advocacy, campaigns and support, this partnership aims to ensure that women and girls are empowered to participate fully in society. Together, IW and Oxfam Pilipinas are working to create a more just and inclusive future by amplifying the voices of women and ensuring their rights are prioritised in national and local planning processes.

TUVA Communications is at the forefront of this changing views on gender equality in Vietnam. Partnering with Investing in Women, TUVA Communications, through the Nhà Nhiều Cột project, is actively engaging with young people to foster open discussions and drive action on gender equality.

About the Partnership: IW and TUVA Communications have joined forces to advance gender equality through innovative media campaigns. This collaboration aims to challenge societal norms and empower the younger generation in Vietnam to become advocates for gender equality. Together, IW and TUVA Communications are committed to fostering a more inclusive and equitable society by supporting grassroots initiatives and building a strong network of informed gender equality champions.

Kopernik, in partnership with Investing in Women, introduces the GENSET campaign—Generasi Setara (Equal Generation). The campaign aims to encourage positive attitudes among Millennials and Gen Z in Indonesia by promoting equality in economic roles and caregiving responsibilities. Through storytelling and multimedia, and with the support of a Community of Practice (CoP) of influential actors and key opinion leaders from diverse backgrounds, GENSET inspires behaviour change and builds a community of advocates promoting gender quality.

About the Partnership: Investing in Women and Kopernik are working in partnership to advance women’s economic equality in Indonesia through the GENSET campaign. This strategic partnership leverages Kopernik’s expertise in community engagement to support IW’s focus on gender equality. Together, they aim to catalyse long-term change by inspiring an equal generation to foster inclusivity and drive sustainable development in Indonesia.

Beacon Fund, with the support of Investing in Women, will deploy innovative financing solutions to empower women-owned and women-led businesses. Vietnamese women founders demonstrate resilience and business acumen, but many still face significant challenges in accessing funding. Beacon Fund addresses these gaps with innovative financing options. These include revenue-based financing, giving businesses flexibility in their repayments, and impact-linked loans that reward companies delivering positive social impact.

About the Partnership: Beacon Fund and Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government, collaborate to pilot innovative financing solutions that bridge the funding gap for underserved women-owned or -led small businesses (WSBs) in Vietnam. By focusing on the “missing middle”, Beacon Fund aims to serve as a blueprint for gender lens investing (GLI) funds to employ innovative investment approaches and funding structures.

inBEST Ventures, an impact investment company focused on gender lens investing (GLI), provides flexible financing and business support tailored to women entrepreneurs. With 75% of its resources allocated to women-led businesses, inBEST Ventures helps these entrepreneurs accelerate growth and scale operations by aligning financial solutions with their unique funding needs. Beyond financing, the company offers business-enabling services to support effective management and long-term success.

About the Partnership: inBEST Ventures partnered with Investing in Women to accelerate women’s economic equality in the Philippines. This collaboration provides tailored financing and capacity-building services to women-led businesses, addressing financial barriers and fostering sustainable growth. Together, they are building a more inclusive and equitable economy by breaking down barriers to women’s economic equality.

Magdalene, in collaboration with Investing in Women, is fostering greater awareness and engagement on gender issues by showcasing momentum towards equality. Their media-driven community advocacy focuses on building engaged communities, working with youth and collaborating with storytellers and media professionals to inspire change. By empowering individuals to "walk the talk," Magdalene nurtures leaders within communities who actively champion gender equality.

About the Partnership: Magdalene and Investing in Women have revitalised their partnership to strengthen gender equality advocacy through media and community engagement. This collaboration leverages Magdalene’s expertise in storytelling and media-driven advocacy to engage the public on social change. Together, they aim to inspire new leaders and build a more inclusive, equal society.

ECUE, in partnership with Investing in Women, focuses on understanding and addressing the structural causes of gender inequality in Vietnam. Through their Community of Practice, VGEM (Vietnam Gender Equality Movement), ECUE connects individuals from diverse sectors—students, lecturers, lawyers, journalists and professionals—who actively advocate for gender equality in their fields. This initiative fosters collaboration and builds a space for synergy, aiming to catalyse transformative changes in gender norms. With a special focus on engaging Gen Z, ECUE empowers the next generation to drive sustainable change toward equality.

About the Partnership: ECUE and Investing in Women have renewed their partnership to strengthen the gender equality movement in Vietnam. This collaboration combines ECUE’s expertise in community building with IW’s commitment to advancing gender equality. Together, they aim to shift complex, intersectional gender norms by empowering individuals and fostering collaboration across public and private sectors.

Good Return and the Alliance of Philippine Partners in Enterprise Development (APPEND) Inc. are working to build a gender-equal and human-centered microfinance sector in the Philippines, in partnership with Investing in Women. Through research-driven campaigns, they aim to identify early adopters of shared care responsibilities and breadwinning roles. Targeted campaign materials will be developed to assist microfinance staff to engage over one million clients on the importance of gender equality, creating meaningful social impact and empowering communities to thrive in peace and prosperity.

About the Partnership: Investing in Women has partnered with Good Return and APPEND to promote gender equality in the microfinance sector in the Philippines. This initiative combines research and education to challenge traditional gender roles, equipping microfinance staff and clients with tools to drive gender-inclusive practices.

The Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE), in partnership with Investing in Women, works with large, influential companies to promote gender equality in the workplace. Through benchmarking tools and data-driven strategies, PBCWE empowers companies to track their progress and implement impactful DE&I initiatives. PBCWE helps businesses support women to enter, stay, and advance in their careers by providing a platform to share best practices and learn from one another.

About the Partnership: Investing in Women and PBCWE work together to support businesses across the Philippines to unlock the benefits of inclusivity and build more competitive, diverse workplaces. This partnership provides companies with the tools, data, and platform needed to measure their progress, exchange insights with peers and become leaders on workplace gender equality.

Marie Lisa Dacanay, President of the Institute of Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), discusses the organisation’s work with Oxfam Pilipinas and Investing in Women to promote women’s economic equality through social enterprises. ISEA is the lead convenor of a Community of Practice of social enterprises that are committed to piloting care-supportive policies and practices within their workplaces and throughout their value chain.

About the Partnership: Oxfam Pilipinas and ISEA, with support from IW, are seeking to catalyse gender-inclusive economic growth through social enterprises. The partnership aims to leverage social enterprises as model workplaces for care-supportive policies and practices. Learning and evidence from pilots in social enterprises will be disseminated through campaigns targeting the broader landscape of micro, small, and medium enterprises.