(KPL) As part of its commitment to promoting women’s leadership in Laos, the Australian government has supported 10 high-achieving women from Laos to participate in the 2018 Global Summit of Women in Sydney, Australia, which brought together 1,000 women leaders from around the world between April 26 and 28 to discuss methods to accelerate women’s global economic progress.

“Australia, particularly Sydney, has a vibrant women’s entrepreneurial community and some incredible female role models,” said Australian Ambassador to the Lao PDR Jean-Bernard Carrasco. “The 2018 Global Summit of Women provided a great opportunity for Australian women to share their experiences with international peers, and we are proud to have been able to support the participation of 10 future female leaders from Laos.”

The 10 women, a mix of Australia Awards scholarship students and alumni, were selected through a competitive process based on capacity and drive to become better leaders in the workplace.

During the summit, they were able to benefit from significant networking opportunities, skills-building sessions and creative tips and practical strategies from over 80 inspirational presenters. Among the women business and government leaders to attend were the President of the Lao Women’s Union Inlavanh Keobounphanh, and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia Julie Bishop.

Ms. Anita Vannasouk, one of the Australia Awards alumni invited to attend, said the stories of success and failure of these inspiring women leaders have motivated her to be a mentor to other women. “Many young girls in Laos are struggling finding who they are, what they want to do and how they will achieve their dreams, and mentorship can be key to helping women open the door of opportunity.”

KPL