Of these officials, two were provided with full scholarships to do a master’s at Cambridge in the fields of development studies and education.

The other eight women will receive grants to pursue research on important issues for Vietnam, ranging from insurance policies, educating ethnic minority children in languages to analysing the lessons Vietnam has learnt from trade disputes.

Addressing the scholarship’s awards ceremony in Hanoi on August 28, the UNDP’s director in Vietnam, Setsuko Yamazaki praised the country for its success in closing the gender gap over the last 20 years.