Affirming the status of women

(Baonghean) - These women play a vital role in the family: they are the hearth, the source of love that connects each member; they also undertake many different tasks in society. However, no matter what they do or where they are, they always affirm their position.

The chicken farming model of Ms. Pham Thi Bac (Nghi Xuan - Nghi Loc).

Good at village affairs and national affairs…

Upon arriving at the gate of Ms. Ngo Thi Phung's house – the head of the Women's Association in Xuan Giang hamlet, Nghi Xuan commune (Nghi Loc district) – I heard lively chatter coming from the spacious and clean house. Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuan, the President of the Nghi Xuan Women's Association, smiled and said, "The ladies are meeting to prepare for October 20th." It is known that Xuan Giang hamlet has 90 members, more than half of whom are Catholic. Ms. Phung herself is also a Catholic and one of the exemplary Women's Association officials in the Catholic community of Nghi Xuan commune. When I asked, "What is your secret to balancing household duties with association work?", Ms. Phung shared: As a woman from a Catholic community, she understands the thoughts and aspirations of the Catholic members. She believes that to effectively promote any policy or guideline of the Party, the State, or the higher-level Women's Association, one must first be a role model and take the lead in everything, even the smallest things. Therefore, within the family, she always taught her children to live in harmony with their neighbors and to respect their elders.

With her family's economic situation improving and her children being well-behaved, Ms. Phung has more time to dedicate to her work with the Women's Association. Since the beginning of the year, she has encouraged and mobilized members of the Xuan Giang hamlet Women's Association to contribute and donate gifts to two families in particularly difficult circumstances. In addition, she has encouraged members to pool capital to build a "economic development support" fund, providing low-interest loans to 53 disadvantaged members to buy pigs and chickens for livestock farming, gradually alleviating poverty. When members' families experience joy or sorrow, she is always the first to offer support, sharing, and close attention. These actions have instilled confidence and trust in the members, allowing them to confide in her, and enabling Ms. Phung to find appropriate and reasonable solutions.

For example, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhan from Kim Chi hamlet, Nghi An commune (Vinh City) is both a successful businesswoman and the vice-chairwoman of the Kim Chi hamlet Women's Association. Overcoming the hardship of losing her husband at the young age of 24, raising two sons alone, and actively participating in association work is something not everyone can do. But she doesn't tire of it; instead, she sees it as a way to regain balance in her life. Therefore, she is always dedicated to the association's work. Seeing that many families in the hamlet are experiencing strained relationships between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, she took the initiative to encourage and promote the establishment of a "Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law" club in the hamlet. She created short plays and excerpts to incorporate into the meetings, enriching the content. At the same time, she visited each family, especially those experiencing conflict, to encourage both mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law to participate in the activities. Thanks to that approach, families, including those with multiple generations living together, now live in great harmony.

Raising successful children

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung and her husband, from Hamlet 3, Hung Tan Commune (Hung Nguyen District), have two daughters. Ms. Nhung said: "In the countryside, the issue of sons versus daughters is still very strong. I remember when I gave birth to my second daughter, my husband, Mr. Thuy, didn't say anything, but he was sad for several weeks. I knew, but he comforted me, saying, 'Daughters are even more important; we must give them a proper education so they won't suffer later.'" Since then, in addition to their 8 acres of rice fields, he works as a construction worker, diligently earning about 5-6 million dong a month. Ms. Nhung stays at home, brewing two pots of rice wine a day, raising chickens and pigs, and tending to the fish pond. Ms. Nhung's two daughters are pretty, well-behaved, and good students, which makes her happy. However, what makes us even happier for her is that she has been able to guide her daughters in choosing suitable schools and careers. Ever since her eldest daughter was in high school, she has closely guided and encouraged her to apply to vocational schools, which are both suitable for the family's circumstances and offer good job prospects. And her second daughter, who is currently in 11th grade, also dreams of becoming a chef and hopes to study at Cua Lo College of Tourism and Commerce.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Soa, from Hamlet 5, Nam Linh Commune (Nam Dan District), is also one of the exemplary families in raising healthy and well-behaved children, despite having only daughters. Ms. Soa believes that all children are her children, whether boys or girls, and they must be nurtured and cared for fully, but daughters require even more care. For example, to help her eldest daughter get into a university in Hanoi, in addition to investing in her education, Ms. Soa also guided her to apply to a school that matched her abilities.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Quynh Hoa, Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union, stated: For women, the four qualities of "self-confidence, self-respect, loyalty, and diligence" will help them overcome challenges and difficulties to become successful women; build prosperous, progressive, and sustainably happy families; fulfill their civic responsibilities well; positively impact the community and society; and contribute to achieving the socio-economic development goals of the locality and the country. Recognizing this important role, from 2009 to the present, the Provincial Women's Union has implemented the Project "Propagating and Educating on the Moral Qualities of Vietnamese Women in the Period of Accelerated Industrialization and Modernization of the Country." This includes focusing on raising awareness among women about the qualities of modern women; establishing "Women and Life" libraries in wards and communes; forming "Women with Four Standards" clubs; and organizing communication campaigns in the community. Every year, over 90% of women have access to enhanced knowledge in all aspects, and over 72% of members meet the three standards of the "Women actively studying, working creatively, and building happy families" movement. In particular, in their role as "keepers of the flame," the women have focused on building culturally exemplary families, achieving a rate of 80% among the total number of members.

Text and photos:Thanh Thuy