Hanoi (VNA) - Representatives of cooperatives and groups of ethnicminority women gathered at a workshop on December 17 to discuss usingtechnology of the fourth Industrial Revolution for business and poverty reduction.

Applying information technology in production and consumption would helpimprove the businesses of ethnic minorities, contributing to economicdevelopment and poverty reduction, said Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids andSocial Affairs Le Van Thanh.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) this year has providedtechnical assistance to help implement a project 'Support for ethnic minoritywomen in poverty reduction and economic empowerment via application of theIndustrial Revolution 4.0 technology' in northern mountainous Bac Kan provinceand the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong on a trial basis.

Through the project, ethnic minority groups, particularly ethnic minority womenand their business partners, investors, scientists and policy makers havechances to connect.

The 4M initiative (Meet, Match, Mentor and Move) implemented under the projecthas enabled 784 people, primarily ethnic minority women, to start up, getinvolved or expand commodity production and markets, connect with otherbusinesses, promote markets and sell their products with technology.

Besides, more than 2,636 people participating in the project received benefitsin the product supply chain through co-operatives, production groups andorganisations in the two provinces.

“This approach is new, in line with the Government's Industrial Revolution 4.0programme, in order to achieve the goal of creating opportunities for poorpeople and ethnic minorities to participate in production, improve the value ofproducts and businesses, increase income, and sustainably accelerate povertyreduction,” Thanh said.

The lessons learned at the workshop were essential for other localities as wellas for the ministry in designing poverty reduction programmes, he added.

UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen said: “Ethnic minoritywomen and men are highly innovative and have great entrepreneurship skills. Newtechnologies such as e-commerce, e-payments, smartphones and internet offergreat development opportunities for ethnic minorities to expand their marketingand business reach.”

“Bringing together ethnic minority entrepreneurs with businesses, governmentofficials and experts in a multi-stakeholder platform of inclusive innovationcan make a significant difference and accelerate poverty reductionresults," she said.

Participants also proposed solutions for expanding the model of 'Linkingproduction and business to indigenous product chains with application ofe-commerce platform'.

This model is suitable for poor households and ethnic minorities in associationwith traditional methods and indigenous culture effectively and sustainablyapplied in other localities such as Lao Cai, Son La, Ha Giang, Hoa Binh, DaNang and Kon Tum./.