With Tacteennaeil(ECPAT Korea) undertaking a KOICA project to establish a gender violence response center in Lao PDR in cooperation with the UNDP, UNFPA and the Korea Institute for Development Strategy since 2020, Lao Women’s Union(LWU) visited South Korea for invitational training to bring Korean models and best practices back home. 

As soon as arriving in Incheon on the 30th of October in the early morning, LWU members embarked on a week-long program of study visits and workshops, which were designed to promote awareness of gender based violence and learn sexual victim support systems, among others. Gaining knowledge and hands-on experience of Korea’s gender equal policies and systems through visits to various gender agencies, LWU expressed awe and respect for our country’s well-established systems along with gratitude for Tacteen’s efforts to make this invitational training happen. 

The five-year international project of Tacteennaeil in Lao PDR is ultimately aimed at helping the country have a robust support system for gender violence victims. To this end, Gender Equality Violence Against Women center(GEVAW) center is under construction, which is expected to open in the early 2024.