ILO News Archive

Young Vietnamese Woman's Journey in Tech STEM

Nguyen Phuong Thao, a 22-year-old Vietnamese woman, joined a computational research lab focused on sustainability science and progressively became an advocate for gender equity in STEM and green jobs, participating in the Youth Network for Green Jobs, Decent Work, and Career Development under the ILO–Korea Partnership Programme. The article highlights that women comprise only approximately 37 percent of tertiary STEM graduates in Viet Nam despite STEM being critical for digital and green jobs, and argues that advancing gender equality requires gender-responsive policy, training, and employment measures alongside enterprise-level commitment to diverse, safe, and gender-inclusive workplaces.

Indonesian Youth Celebrate Working Mothers on Kartini Day

The ILO published reflections from Indonesian youth sharing their perspectives on working mothers in commemoration of Kartini National Women's Day on April 21, 2026. The article features interviews with four university and high school students who describe their working mothers as inspirational figures who taught them independence and equality. The ILO's RealGains project, funded by the Government of Canada, highlights findings that caregiving responsibilities remain a primary barrier to women's career advancement in Indonesia, underscoring the need for family-friendly workplace policies.

Ethiopia and South Africa Study Tour on Labour Market Information Systems

From 14–17 April 2026, an Ethiopian delegation from the Ministry of Labor and Skills and Ethiopia Statistics Service, supported by the ILO BRMM Programme, visited South Africa for a four-day study tour on Labour Market Information Systems. The delegation engaged with South Africa's Department of Employment and Labour, Statistics South Africa, and the Department of Higher Education and Training to observe public employment services, labour force survey methods, and skills classification systems. Both countries face high youth unemployment, informality, and fragmented data, making the exchange directly relevant. Ethiopian experts identified three priority areas: improving system interoperability, strengthening job-matching services, and aligning skills development with labour market demand.