Society

Gender equality to promote socio-economic development

Plum Blossom • DNUM_AHZBBZCACE 20:37

Nghe An women account for 49.14% of the labor force in society. In order for women to rise up and make positive contributions to society, the Vietnam Women's Union at all levels in Nghe An province has many activities to support women to overcome psychological barriers and gender prejudices to strive to rise up and take control of their lives and make positive contributions to society.

Plum Blossom• October 29, 2024

Nghe An women account for 49.14% of the labor force in society. To help women rise up to take control of their lives and make positive contributions to society, the Women's Union at all levels of Nghe An province has many activities to support women to overcome psychological barriers and gender prejudices to rise up.

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One of the key programs and activities of the Association at all levels Women in Nghe An province are propagating and supporting women to prevent and combat domestic violence, with many practical and effective activities.

Listen, understand and share

A few years after getting married, many people secretly rejoiced that NT in Quynh Luong commune (Quynh Luu district) had a quite fulfilling life. However, when the health of her two children was not good, the couple's business encountered many difficulties, her husband's personality changed, he was often grumpy, ready to abuse his wife.

She thought she would just have to swallow her pride and let things go, but after receiving advice from the Women's Union of the commune and neighborhood, Ms. NT confidently and openly shared her family's story to find a solution. She herself also gained more knowledge and skills, and fought for herself, which she said was "to gain peace for herself and her children".

Also in Quynh Luong commune, Ms. TH became a victim of domestic violence by her drunken husband. After nearly 20 years of suffering and falling into depression, Ms. TH said that she had thought many times about leaving the house with her children to be freed, but then she was "afraid of this, afraid of that" so she gritted her teeth and endured. When she was exposed to information about preventing and combating domestic violence from the Women's Union of the commune, Ms. TH informed her husband's family that she was being abused and she herself also gained more skills to "tie the ropes together", gradually her husband changed, became more loving, and took more responsibility for his wife and children.

Ms. Bui Thi Thoa - President of the Women's Union of Quynh Luong commune said that to reduce domestic violence, the Women's Union of the commune advised the People's Committee of the commune to establish a Rapid Response Team to prevent and combat domestic violence to help women "untie" the mentality of resignation and silence to fight against domestic violence against themselves and their children.

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The activities of the rapid response team to prevent and combat domestic violence in the commune have helped many women "untie" their mentality of resignation and silence to fight against domestic violence against themselves and their children.

Ms. Bui Thi Thoa - President of Women's Union of Quynh Luong commune

In Quynh Luu district, in Quynh Thang commune, together with the rapid response team, the commune also established 2 "New Vitality" Clubs for victims of violence and those at risk of violence (wives in the family) and "Responsible Men" Club for perpetrators of domestic violence (husbands). Many localities in the district established clubs for "Prevention and control of domestic violence", "Happy family", "Family of 5 no, 3 clean", "Women and the law"...; organized online contests to learn about prevention and control of human trafficking; prevention and control of domestic violence - a drawing contest on prevention and control of sexual abuse...

Ms. Ho Thi Thuy Hang - Vice President of the Women's Union of Quynh Luu district said that the clubs and competitions all aim to raise awareness of domestic violence prevention for people in general and women in particular; at the same time equipping women with "response" skills to prevent violence from happening or ways to defend themselves when violence occurs. The ultimate goal is to build a prosperous, happy and civilized family.

Efforts to change

The main victims of domestic violence are mostly women and children. As an organization representing and protecting the legal and legitimate rights and interests of women, in recent times, the Women's Union at all levels in the province has focused on propaganda and supporting women in preventing and combating domestic violence through many practical and effective activities.

In Quy Chau district, along with promoting propaganda and dissemination of legal documents on domestic violence prevention and control; the district Women's Union directed all levels of the Union to build and maintain many "Domestic Violence Prevention and Control" clubs in villages and hamlets; mobilized cadres, members, and women to participate in mediation groups, self-management groups, etc.

In Do Luong district, the Women's Union at all levels organized many community communication activities on preventing and combating domestic violence in schools and residential areas; organized forums on "Prevention of domestic violence and social evils", "Model mother-in-law, filial daughter-in-law"; established and maintained the activities of "Mother and child" and "Following the children" clubs; models of "Safe village for women and children", Women's Union "5 no, 3 clean" (including the criteria of no domestic violence, peaceful home).

At the provincial level, through the implementation of Project 938 on "Propaganda, education, mobilization, and support for women to participate in solving a number of social issues related to women in the period of 2017-2027" and Project 8 "Implementing gender equality and solving urgent issues of women and children", the Women's Union at all levels in the province has organized many communication activities, training, dialogues, forums, competitions, and clubs on gender equality; preventing and combating domestic violence; preserving and promoting traditional cultural behavior in the family...

Many movements, campaigns, and models to support the building of prosperous, progressive, happy, and civilized families have been implemented by the Women's Union at all levels in the province. Notable examples include: "Supporting women to build happy and sustainable families"; "Supporting the community to prevent child abuse, prevent early marriage, and incestuous marriage"; "Safe villages for women and children"; "Trusted address in the community"; "Legal advisory group for women and children"; "Supporting women and children affected by gender-based violence"; building families of "5 no's, 3 cleans", "5 yes's, 3 cleans"...

For Project 8 alone, after nearly 3 years of implementation, the whole province has established 257 "Community Communication Teams"; 28 "trusted addresses"; 31 "Leaders of Change" clubs; organized 30 policy dialogues... in ethnic minority areas.

Ms. Le Thi Huong Giang - Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union affirmed: Through the above activities, it has contributed to raising awareness, solving some common problems of women, especially gender stereotypes, domestic violence, early marriage, consanguineous marriage, and violations of the law. However, there are still obstacles because of the psychology of women who are resigned, self-conscious, and do not dare to share that they are victims of domestic violence. Or they do not trust anyone to solve the situation of violence in their family. That is the issue that the Women's Union at all levels in Nghe An is continuing to worry about, renewing the approach, going deep, getting close, listening, understanding, sharing and finding many solutions to prevent and reduce domestic violence, contributing to building a prosperous, progressive, happy, and civilized family.

Women with “weak legs and soft arms” and disabled women have it even harder. However, with their own efforts and support from the Women’s Union at all levels, many women have overcome adversity, turned the impossible into possible, created family happiness and made life more beautiful.

Extraordinary willpower

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh in Cau Giat town (Quynh Luu) has a speech disability and lost the ability to speak due to a hemangioma and underwent many surgeries to remove the tumor when she was young.

Despite her illness, mental trauma, and difficult family economic circumstances, with a sense of responsibility as the eldest sister in the family, Ms. Thanh overcame everything to find a way to make a living with her mother. After a period of selling vegetables, melons, and tofu, in 2015, she was supported by the Women's Union of Quynh Luu district to build a model for purchasing, preserving, and supplying seafood.

After 9 years of starting a business, she has invested in 2 cold storage warehouses associated with seafood processing. In addition to increasing her family's income, she also creates jobs for dozens of local workers with an income of 4 - 6 million VND/person/month. Every year, she also allocates hundreds of millions of VND to support capital, donate livelihood models and give gifts to poor households and households in difficult circumstances in and outside the district, and at the same time sponsors an orphan in An Hoa commune. In 2022, she was awarded a commemorative medal to honor a female entrepreneur with a golden heart for the community.

Ms. Phan Thi Hien in Dien Thai commune (Dien Chau) has a congenital motor disability, making it very difficult to move around. With the thought: Study to have a job, have income, and be independent in life, she worked hard to study, graduated from a pharmacy college and opened a pharmacy. In particular, from her hometown's traditional honey cake making profession, she connected and promoted the product on social networks Facebook and Zalo.

When Dien Thai honey cake products became known to consumers in the province and across the country, Ms. Hien boldly invested in processing machinery; established a production association with 15 participating members. Her family alone produces about 4-5 tons of honey cake each year, with an annual revenue of about 450 million VND. Currently, the product is in the process of completing procedures to build an OCOP product.

Ms. Thanh and Ms. Hien are two of the typical examples of disabled women overcoming difficulties to rise up in Nghe An province. They are like cacti on the sand, even in the harshest living conditions, they still grow strongly and bloom. These women have overcome the darkness, lighting up life with their extraordinary willpower.

Supporting disabled women to rise up

According to statistics, Nghe An province currently has more than 69,000 people with disabilities, of which more than 17,000 are women with disabilities. Implementing Directive No. 11 dated November 8, 2021 of the Standing Committee of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee on helping people with disabilities; Action Program to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Women's Congress and the Resolution of the 16th Nghe An Provincial Women's Congress, the Women's Union at all levels in the province has provided practical support to women with disabilities, creating conditions for them to participate equally in social activities.

The key activities are propaganda, raising awareness, eliminating discrimination against women with disabilities; social security policies for disadvantaged women so that women with disabilities can access them; training, guidance on science and technology transfer, vocational training, job introduction, loans for economic development, start-ups, business start-ups, etc.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Quynh Hoa - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, President of the Provincial Women's Union shared: Supporting and helping women with disabilities "so that no one is left behind" is one of the important tasks of the Women's Union at all levels, contributing to promoting the task of supporting women to develop comprehensively, building a prosperous, happy, progressive and civilized Vietnamese family.

Currently, the Women's Union at all levels in Nghe An is continuing to promote activities to support women with disabilities, such as supporting access to preferential capital sources for economic development, entrepreneurship, and business start-up; guiding women with disabilities to participate in vocational training classes, create jobs and stable income. At the same time, organizing connections for women with disabilities to access appropriate social services, in order to create conditions and equal development opportunities for women with disabilities.

In life, there areMany women are not inferior to men. More and more women are becoming economic leaders, starting businesses, starting successful businesses and actively participating in social activities.

Accompanying women in economic development

In Ca village, Chau Hong commune (Quy Hop), Ms. Luong Thi Ly has a rather difficult situation. Building a family from scratch, when she had 2 more children, especially her first son who had anemia and had to go to the provincial hospital for treatment every month, the family's life became even more difficult.

In 2019, through participating in a training course on animal husbandry and receiving support from a bank loan managed by the Women's Union, Ms. Ly's family bought 2 breeding cows. From 2 breeding cows, after 5 years, Ms. Ly's family had 12 cows; of which 6 were sold for more than 120 million VND to pay off bank loans, repair the house, and buy household items. Currently, in addition to raising 6 cows, Ms. Ly and her husband do farming and gardening, and with the income from their second child who has gone to work, the family's life is stable and they have escaped poverty.

The awareness, thinking and belief in life of Ms. Luong Thi Hong, in Na Ty village, Chau Thon commune (Que Phong) have also changed since participating in communication and training sessions on animal husbandry, cultivation and building a happy family. Since 2020, Ms. Hong has joined the cooperative group for raising ducks deployed by the Women's Union and has been supported with 50 ducklings and poultry feed. The first batch of ducks was profitable, and in the following batches, she gradually increased the herd. Up to now, she raises more than 300 ducks per batch, and sells a total of more than 1,200 ducks each year. After deducting expenses, the family earns about 60 - 70 million VND/year. Ms. Hong's family also opened a grocery store, renovated the vegetable garden, dug a pond to raise fish to improve their lives.

What is valuable about Ms. Luong Thi Hong, according to Ms. Luong Thi Ha - President of the Women's Union of Chau Thon commune: "From understanding her own difficulties in the past due to lack of knowledge and capital, Ms. Hong is very active with the Women's Union organization in propagating, sharing experiences, and mobilizing women to do business; helping women to be confident and dare to speak up, and to be equal in the family and society".

Supporting and facilitating women to develop the economy, start businesses, and start successful businesses is one of the tasks prioritized by the Women's Union at all levels in Nghe An. In more than 3 years (2021 - 2024), the Women's Union at all levels in Nghe An has supported vocational training and apprenticeship for more than 25,000 female workers, and after training, more than 20,000 workers have jobs. The Union at all levels has maintained connections and supported loans for economic development and startups for more than 77,000 borrowers with a total outstanding loan of nearly 5,000 billion VND; supporting 1,222 women to start businesses.

The economic and business movement among cadres, members and women in Nghe An has contributed to promoting economic development and reducing poverty in the province, including more than 2,297 households headed by women escaping poverty. There are 8 cooperatives and 73 cooperative groups headed by women with 1,200 members established.

Continue to raise awareness and action

The Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress continued to affirm: "Promoting the tradition, potential, strengths, and spirit of mastery and aspirations of women of all classes. Building Vietnamese women of the new era...". The Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Party Central Committee Secretariat have also issued resolutions and directives on female cadre work, gender equality, and the advancement of women. The National Assembly has issued the Law on Gender Equality and the Government has issued the National Strategy on Gender Equality for the period 2021 - 2030 with very specific gender equality goals.

To realize the goals, tasks and solutions set forth by the Party, the National Assembly and the Government on gender equality, for the advancement of women; contributing to promoting the talents, intelligence and fine traditions of Vietnamese women in the new era, in addition to the participation of Women's Unions at all levels, it is necessary to have the efforts of each woman herself. On the other hand, in terms of responsibilities at all levels and sectors, it is necessary to focus on creating a favorable environment to promote the role of women in economic development, sustainable hunger eradication and poverty reduction; promote start-ups, innovation, application of science and technology; actively participate in the development of digital economy, green economy, circular economy, low-carbon economy, knowledge economy... At the same time, implementing solutions for planning, training, fostering and appointing female leaders at all levels, sectors and fields, thereby enhancing the position of women...

Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Hien - Permanent Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union affirmed: Although gender prejudice has changed, the ideology and awareness of gender prejudice still exist in many people, even when women are successful in a certain field, people still do not easily recognize it as fairly as men. So how can women have real equality? The most important thing is to persistently promote communication work, change awareness and behavior towards women from within each family and society.