The Southern Region Waterways and Transport Logistics Corridor (SWLC) Project keeps sailing forward with the collaboration of the Aus4Transport Program. The transport infrastructure initiative of the Government of Australia in Vietnam is contributing to the development of this key piece of infrastructure that aims to promote sustainable multi-modal transport and boost economic growth in the Mekong Delta.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is supporting this World Bank co-financed project with USD243,000. The funding and technical assistance provided by Aus4Transport will be dedicated to updating the Feasibility Study (FS) and the Environmental and Social Assessment Instruments (ESAI) and required documents necessary for Project approval.

Forests are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, provide livelihood for nearly 300 million people  (including 60 million indigenous people). After a huge drop in forest cover from 43% to 27% of land area between 1943 and 1990, the government of Vietnam has taken successively stronger measures and cooperative actions to stabilise forest loss. 
In compliance with the Government of Vietnam’s strategic development plan and aligning with the comprehensive objectives of the Program, Aus4Transport has been working on the activity “Preparation of Replacement Afforestation Plan – Public Awareness Campaign on Forest Protection” for the Northern Mountain Provinces Transport Connectivity Project. This activity aims to mitigate the impacts on forest resources associated with project implementation by providing a detailed plan to compensate the affected forestry resources. 

Recognising this, and working to raise awareness and end VAWG, November 25 has been designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start of 16 days of action to end gender-based violence that culminates on 10 December, the International Day for Human Rights. You may ask, why is this important? Why do we need an international day and an official campaign of activism to eliminate violence against women? Isn’t this a family and personal problem, rather than a community or international one? And aren’t there enough preventative measures in place already?

The answer is quite simple: NO. The reality is, that despite continued efforts and increased awareness, the rates of VAWG remain stubbornly high, and the costs to society – physical, emotional and economic – are significant. Further, what we do know about the extent of this problem is likely just the tip of the iceberg – violence against women and girls continues to be underreported due to the impunity, stigma and shame surrounding it, particularly for survivors. 

Until all women are trusted, their concerns respected, and real action taken to address violence against women and girls and prosecute and punish perpetrators, such violence will continue to burden not just the victim and their family but also the economy.  The cost of this, in terms of lost productivity, was estimated at 1.8% of GDP in 2018. As we know that violence against women is underreported, it is safe to say that this is likely an underestimation and the real cost is much higher.