Focus on developing a team of female cadres.
(Baonghean) - One of the key breakthroughs set forth by the Quy Chau District Party Congress (Nghe An province) for the 2015-2020 term is the effective implementation of training, fostering, and improving the qualifications of cadres, with a focus on female cadres.
The "key figures" at the grassroots level
Chau Thuan is the only commune in Quy Chau district where both the Party Secretary and the Standing Deputy Party Secretary are women. During our field trip there, our conversation with Comrade Lu Thi Mai – Party Secretary and Chairwoman of the People's Council of the commune – was constantly interrupted by numerous officials and branch secretaries who came to meet, discuss, and seek advice on work matters. Witnessing this female Party Secretary's enthusiastic and welcoming guidance to each person, we understood why she enjoys such high prestige among local officials and Party members.
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| Ms. Lu Thi Mai, Secretary of the Chau Thuan Commune Party Committee, regularly discusses work matters to stay informed of the situation. (Photo: My Nga) |
Given the reality that the commune is a purely agricultural area, with 98% of its population being ethnic Thai people, and that life is still difficult because the people rely solely on rice cultivation, immediately after the Commune Party Congress for the 2015-2020 term, the Secretary of the Chau Thuan Commune Party Committee, Lu Thi Mai, discussed with the Party Committee and the Commune People's Committee to mobilize the people to change their mindset and diversify their crops and livestock, focusing on four key areas: rice cultivation, sugarcane cultivation, forestry, and the cultivation of fragrant root plants. To create momentum, the Commune Party Committee directed the selection of several villages as pilot sites, such as: pig and cattle farming in Bong 1 village, fragrant root plant cultivation in Bong 2 village, and sugarcane cultivation in Noong Hang village...
Thanks to the active efforts of officials and Party members, and the consensus and diligence of the people, the lives of the people have gradually improved, and contributions to building new rural areas have progressed well; while at the beginning of the term, the poverty rate in Chau Thuan commune was 50%, it has now decreased to 30.5%.
"At first glance, looking at the numbers, people were really hesitant to embark on building new rural areas. In reality, the people's internal resources are limited, but they will do whatever benefits them."
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| People in Chau Thuan commune cultivate agarwood roots and raise buffalo and cattle. Photo: My Nga |
Identifying challenging criteria such as housing, income, and poverty reduction, Comrade Lu Thi Mai, as the "leading figure," consistently encouraged every cadre and Party member to persevere, uphold a high sense of responsibility, and direct socio-economic development. As a result, Chau Thuan achieved 14 out of 19 criteria and registered to complete the new rural development program in 2020.
In Chau Nga commune, since April 2016, young female official Luong Thi Tue (born in 1989) has held a position at the Party Committee Office, concurrently serving as Deputy Head of the Party Committee's Inspection Committee. A member of the Thai ethnic group and a graduate of Hue University of Law, Comrade Luong Thi Tue is a young intellectual who has been attracted to work in the locality.
Having been trained and matured since her apprenticeship at the Party Committee Office, Luong Thi Tue possesses extensive experience in handling daily tasks at the commune level, providing effective support to the Party Committee's Standing Committee in managing its activities. The Secretary of the Chau Nga Commune Party Committee, Comrade Vo Anh Tuan, commented: Compared to men, female cadres face more challenges. The difficulty of working in the Party Committee Office lies in being proficient in her own work and knowledgeable about matters at higher levels. Having been trained and tested in practice, Comrade Luong Thi Tue has matured in many aspects and meets the demands of her work.
"Compared to men, female officials have a somewhat harder time."
We were also present and witnessed the lively and open discussion at the regular April meeting with branch secretaries at the Chau Binh commune Party Committee. The female branch secretaries proposed many concrete solutions for local policies and plans such as new rural development, education, and party member management.
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| The Party Secretary of Chau Binh commune exchanges views with female branch secretaries after the monthly regular meeting. Photo: My Nga |
According to Comrade Vi Dai Thang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Chau Binh commune: “Currently, in our locality, a large number of men go away to work, leaving rural women to directly shoulder the burden of supporting their families. Therefore, women have become the main workforce in agricultural production and economic development. Practical experience shows that female Party branch secretaries have many advantages; they are enthusiastic, meticulous, dynamic, and possess flexible leadership skills, achieving good results.”
While previously 100% of Party branch secretaries were male, currently Chau Binh commune has 10 out of 17 Party branch secretaries who are female. All of them have played a significant role in administration, contributing to the completion of the commune's plans. "Female cadres are playing an increasingly important role in political activities and the construction of new rural areas," affirmed Vi Dai Thang, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee.
"Female officials are playing an increasingly important role in political activities and the building of new rural areas."
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| Photo: Ke Kien |
Screening and preparing new personnel
According to Comrade Lang Van Xuan, Head of the Organization Department of the Quy Chau District Party Committee: Paying attention to young and female cadres, and ethnic minorities, the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee issued Project 06/DA-HU on October 28, 2011, on training ethnic minority cadres, female cadres, young cadres, and grassroots cadres. Alongside training and development, Party committees at all levels have also focused on assigning, promoting, and creating an environment for female cadres to participate in key positions in communes and towns; and as heads and deputy heads of departments and agencies at the district level.
At the District and grassroots Party Congresses in Quy Chau for the 2015-2020 term, the percentage of women participating in the District and grassroots Party Committees exceeded the prescribed targets: 11 out of 37 female cadres participated in the Executive Committee, accounting for 29.7%, including 2 female cadres in the District Party Standing Committee, accounting for 18.18%, and 3 young female cadres (under 35 years old), accounting for 27.27%.
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| Female cadres participated in the Party Committee Executive Boards at the district and grassroots levels for the 2015-2020 term. |
These officials demonstrate strong capabilities and enthusiasm in their work, are honed through practical experience, and have matured in all aspects. Many units, especially at the grassroots level, proactively train their officials to improve their qualifications, gradually standardizing female officials and contributing to leading the development of the locality, such as in Chau Binh and Chau Phong communes and the town...
However, in some Party organizations, the proportion of female cadres still falls short of expectations due to the incorrect understanding of some Party committees and authorities regarding the role and position of female cadres; the planning, training, and utilization of female cadres lack strategic vision and breakthroughs.
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| Lữ Thị Yến, Party Secretary of Luồng village, Châu Phong commune, shares and guides women in the village on how to make dried bamboo shoots. Photo: Mỹ Nga |
Explaining the reasons, Lang Van Xuan, Head of the Organization Department of the Quy Chau District Party Committee, said that women's roles as mothers and wives have somewhat affected their pursuit of higher education, especially in rural areas. Most women are reluctant to participate in long-term courses or travel long distances. This has led to a limitation in some areas of the number of female cadres who meet the required professional and political theory qualifications to be nominated for election or candidacy.
"The roles of mother and wife held by women have, to some extent, influenced their pursuit of education and higher education, especially in rural areas."
In the coming period, in the spirit of "selecting the right person based on the situation," especially in the preparation of personnel for the upcoming Party congresses at all levels, the Standing Committee of the Quy Chau District Party Committee will continue to focus on leading and directing grassroots Party organizations and units to seriously review and evaluate cadres. This will allow for the timely identification of exemplary individuals, with priority given to female cadres, to be included in planning, training, development, evaluation, and placement in a manner that matches their abilities and strengths, and especially to create all conditions for women to study and improve their professional skills.
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| Quy Chau town. Archival photo. |
