Vientiane, Jan 23 (NationPress) The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in Laos is intensifying initiatives to eradicate discrimination in the workplace, particularly focusing on gender-based abuse and child labor.

These initiatives were bolstered on Wednesday during a meeting aimed at reviewing a draft training manual and communication tools designed to prevent discrimination in the workplace. This gathering included officials and stakeholders dedicated to enhancing understanding and reinforcing protections for workers, as reported by the local Pasaxon newspaper on Friday.

Deputy Director General of the ministry's Department of Labour Management, Khamphat Onlasy, emphasized that this initiative aims to safeguard workers from all forms of abuse and discrimination, while also assisting Laos in adhering to international labour standards, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Khamphat urged relevant officials to actively exchange knowledge and experiences with experts to ensure the training manual and communication toolkit for combating workplace discrimination are completed promptly and tailored to Laos' specific context.

This initiative is part of a larger project targeting the eradication of workplace discrimination, abuse, and child labor in Laos, which is crucial for enhancing trade and compliance. The project aims to align national laws and practices with international labour standards, which is a vital requirement under free trade agreements and the rising expectations of global supply chains.

To reach these goals, the project concentrates on specific trade-related sectors by enhancing social dialogue and building institutional capacity to prevent discrimination and abuse in workplaces, both legally and practically. It also advocates for labour relations policies that safeguard fundamental principles and rights at work, while aiding efforts to eliminate child labor.

Last week, the Ministry of Education and Sports in Laos launched significant reforms to modernize curricula, strengthen human resources, and improve teacher welfare across the nation.

The ministry has integrated vocational skills into general education, developing new curricula and textbooks in areas such as beauty therapy, electrical repair, refrigeration, agricultural processing, electric motorcycle maintenance, and garment production, aiming to better align education with labor market needs, as reported by Lao Economic Daily on Wednesday.

To tackle teacher shortages in rural regions, four training programs were organized to deploy personnel and soldiers as teaching assistants in primary schools. Reforms in higher education also took place, with 27 curricula updated to meet current academic and professional standards.

Looking forward, the ministry will concentrate on key priorities outlined in the 10th national socio-economic development plan, which includes reducing multi-grade classrooms, enhancing teacher training, and expanding ethnic boarding schools to promote inclusive access to quality education.

The ministry reaffirmed its dedication to translating national policies into tangible outcomes that foster human resource development and sustainable national growth.