Kheuavanh Chanthaphouvong was born in Xaythany District, Vientiane, Laos, which was still a rural area at that time. After graduating from high school, she applied to study Law at the newly established National University of Laos. Kheuavanh earned a bachelor’s degree in Judicial Law and has been working at the Ministry of Home Affairs ever since.
Kheuavanh is a woman with a growth mindset who always seeks toimprove herself. She applied for the Australia Awards Scholarship and completed a Master of International Development at Flinders University in 2020. Gaining a world class education in Australia has been pivotal to Kheuavanh’s career. She explains that the Australia Awards Scholarship opened new perspectives and horizons for her and has helped her apply the principles of good governance in her work.
Kheuavanh is currently working to support Public Service Improvement for the Lao government and is very enthusiastic to play a part in building effective and transparent government. She is currently working on the ‘One Door’ policy that brings all public services together in one place, making it easier for people to access government services. Kheuavanh is proud that many One Door Service Centers have been established and operating nationwide, and plans to establish more over the coming year.
Kheuavanh believes that Lao Women’s Union Day is an important day for all Lao women. “The Lao Women’s Union (LWU) represents all Lao women. LWU protects and insures the rights and benefits not just for women but for children as well. Their mission is to advocate for gender balance and equality. Apart from that, they help mainstream human rights and gender rights for all. I believe that LWU plays an important role in our current society. In my opinion, our society consists of both men and women, so I think men and women must work together toward gender equality.”
Finally, Kheuavanh has the following advice for Lao women: “Be strong, believe in yourself, and never stop trying”. She is a firm believer in the power of education and influencing changes through leading by example.
