HANOI -- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today announced the launch of an essay contest highlighting the crucial role women play in advancing development in Vietnam, especially in the fields of science, engineering and technology.
The "Women in Science and Technology" Essay Contest, launched to mark International Women's Day, encourages Vietnamese students to write about how girls and women can play a greater role in science and technology in Vietnam. The submitted essays will be judged by a panel led by USAID/Vietnam and the winner will receive an Apple iPad Mini and a USAID certificate of appreciation.

"This contest is launched as part of our continuous efforts to help increase women's equality and empowerment as key components of effective development in Vietnam," said USAID Vietnam Mission Director Joakim Parker. "Through this initiative, students have an opportunity to share inspiring ideas and stories about women in science and technology, which we hope will encourage more girls to pursue education in these sectors and become scientist or engineers who contribute to the development of Vietnam.  We also hope we can use these ideas to improve the effectiveness of assistance programs."

The USAID Essay Contest is open to all Vietnamese students currently enrolled at a high school or university in Vietnam. To enter the contest and have the chance to win the prize, the participants are required to submit an essay of no more than 500 words in Vietnamese or English no later than April 8, 2013. The contest result will be announced in late April 2013 on the USAID/Vietnam website and the winner notified by phone/email.

For more information about the contest, including contest instructions, visit http://vietnam.usaid.gov or call 04-39352138.