Women in the rice fields and the book 'Visiting Household Diary'

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Following the President of the Women's Union of Nhan Thanh Commune, Phan Thi Thuy, we visited the family of Ms. Dinh Thi Thuy in Tho Vinh hamlet. In the small, neat and airy house, while sipping green tea, stories about economic development methods or women's emulation movements became lively, including stories connected by meaning and affection, making the bond of solidarity even tighter.

Visiting each member's family has become a habit, a way of life and work for women's union officials. Photo: My Nga

For women's union officials like Ms. Phan Thi Thuy, visiting each member's family has become a habit, a way of life and work for her. Ms. Thuy shared that after each visit to a household, she takes full notes in her diary. This is both to help herself synthesize, grasp, and monitor the situation at the grassroots level, and to promptly report urgent issues to the higher-level union. "With this friendly approach, union officials better understand the lives and difficulties of union members, creating affection and responsibility for everyone," Ms. Thuy said.

According to the “Household Visit Diary” model, each month, each cadre at all levels must visit at least 5 member households. Up to now, the Yen Thanh Women's Union at all levels has visited 1,634 members, attended 496 branch meetings, 24 clubs; supported 18 women to complete their application for benefits, counseled 3 victims of violence and abuse; supported 12 victims at risk of abuse; successfully reconciled 9 couples who withdrew their divorce petitions. 100% of the branches have specialized activities with direct reporters being union cadres.

Every month, each association officer must visit at least 5 member households and record all the details in the household visit diary. Photo: My Nga

“Household Visit Diary” has become a regular activity for women’s unions at all levels in Yen Thanh district in recent times, changing the thinking, working style and increasing the responsibility of union officials. Chairwoman of the Yen Thanh District Women’s Union Nguyen Thi Hoa confided: “In the past, union officials were afraid to contact with union members, many legitimate thoughts and aspirations of women were not taken care of and resolved; information was not captured accurately and reflected incompletely; the implementation of movements and union activities was still stereotyped and passive; not bold in advisory work, lacking responsibility to union members, especially vulnerable members. Now, through “Household Visit Diary”, those shortcomings have been exposed and overcome.”

Since then, the association's movements and activities have been deployed to each member, especially creating relationships and trust for female members and people, ready to share and connect to receive advice and support to solve deadlocked problems in life.

Contribute to making changes

By improving the scientific and practical working methods and procedures according to the model of "Household Visit Diary", many movements and activities of the Women's Union of Yen Thanh district were selected to be implemented with focus, associated with the local political tasks. The Women's Union directly undertakes the implementation of the criteria in building new rural areas, and the Unions at all levels build typical movements of "Beautiful gardens, clean houses", which have changed the face of the countryside, creating breakthroughs in building model new rural areas.

"The model "Beautiful garden, clean house" is very effective, families benefit and contribute to beautifying the countryside landscape".

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thao - Bac Thap hamlet, Vinh Thanh commune

It is not difficult to see houses with impressive airy, clean, tidy and neat landscapes in communes such as Nhan Thanh, Vinh Thanh, Quang Thanh, Bac Thanh... In Bac Thap hamlet, Vinh Thanh commune, the road leading to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thao's house is covered with 2 rows of green fences. Ms. Thao enthusiastically introduced to us the front garden with green vegetables and fruit trees.

Previously, the grass grew wildly, but thanks to her hands, the garden now has many kinds of vegetables, fruit trees with heavy branches, vegetables in every season; the trash can is placed right next to the entrance, the house is clean and neat. Ms. Thao shared: "Making a beautiful garden is not difficult, but it requires diligence and hard work. The garden is the most valuable asset, not only helping the family to be self-sufficient, have more income, but also dispel fatigue, love life more. The model "Beautiful garden, clean house" launched by the Women's Union is very effective, the family benefits, contributing to beautifying the countryside landscape".

The "Beautiful garden, clean house" movement is supported by members and people. Photo: My Nga

Households participating in the model all organized flower paths and green fences to create a green, clean, and beautiful landscape; designed and renovated mixed gardens; rearranged the livestock areas reasonably, arranged houses to be neat, scientific, and convenient, and classified garbage at home. The model of "beautiful garden, clean house" was gradually formed thanks to changes from the smallest things and had a great influence.

The humanitarian and charitable activity "Sharing with poor women" is responded to in many specific and practical forms.

Activities are directed towards the grassroots level, paying attention to the material and spiritual life of members, and other movements are also promoted. The humanitarian and charitable activities of "Sharing with poor women" are responded to in many specific and practical forms such as raising plastic pigs, the money and rice saved will be used to help poor, disabled, single women members, those in trouble and difficulty; or the money collected from the model of "turning waste into breeding animals, civilized garbage bags" will help members buy breeding animals, develop the economy. In addition, coordinating with vocational schools and enterprises to organize vocational training classes, consulting, and introducing female workers to work abroad. Every year, 6-7 dialogues are organized with members about women's policies and rights.

Flower trees on model roads are regularly cared for. Photo: My Nga

Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Yen Thanh district, Nguyen Thi Hoa, said that in the coming time, the Union will strengthen monitoring and criticism activities; select specific tasks with a roadmap, prioritize tasks and criteria that are timely and suitable for each target group. In particular, promote innovation through vibrant emulation, with the hope that the Union's activities and emulation movements will not only contribute to promoting the role and position of women in the family and society, but also that the Unions at all levels will become a bridge between Party committees and authorities at all levels and the people.

With specific and practical actions, Yen Thanh Women's Union has linked studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style with emulation movements, making great contributions to building new rural areas. Up to now, Yen Thanh has 34/38 communes meeting NTM standards, striving to complete the NTM district criteria in 2019. The district Women's Union was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Provincial People's Committee in the NTM construction movement in the period of 2015 - 2018, the Provincial Women's Union honored the typical unit in implementing Directive 05.