First Khmu Ethnic Woman Leader in the Village
Viengphoukha district, Luangnamtha province, Laos
Buapha, 28 years old khmu ethnic woman lives with her husband and 3 daughters in rural community of Viengphoukha district, Luangnamtha province.
Buapha and her family live a village where LWF Rights Based empowerment Project (RBEP) is being implemented. Buapha is very active woman in the village; her family is one among many role model families within the village.
As a result of organized awareness campaign on gender equity and women empowerment of the project, the Village Authority (VA) envisages significant competences in Buapha and interest to promote her as one of the village authority members. Ms Amphone LWF Community Empowerment Facilitator (CEF) said that ‘‘since the VA wants to promote and higher roles of women and involve them more in the village development work, and they focused to Buapha immediately’’.
Buapha is delighted and willing to part of the village development work since she and her family have been contributing their times and skills on this ranging from being leader for youth and women union in the village. Buapha later was elected as village head by the villagers and VA members.
Buapha told that ‘‘in the previous of time, women understood that only men are able to take roles in decision making’’ she also addressed that ‘‘women in the village are very quiet and shy to express their thoughts and concerns in the meetings, I want to change this perspective’’.
This is such new faces of experiences in the village and villagers to have woman as part of the authority. Mr Sompheng, one of the VA members said that ‘‘the villagers are very delighted and congratulate to Buapha for this opportunity’’.
Given the great opportunity, Buapha has been demonstrating effective roles and responsibilities, given trainings from LWF, contributes her knowledge and skills into her work, widening her experiences about women issues within the communities and actively participate in the project operation in the community.
LWF will further support intervention on women empowerment advocacy from grass root level in the within the operation areas, ensure that women everywhere particularly in rural ethnic communities aware of their rights and live in peace and without all form of discrimination.
