Two talented female village 'leaders'

(Baonghean) - In recent years, local Party committees and authorities have been paying much attention to the work of young cadres and female cadres at the grassroots level, including at the hamlet level. In many localities, they have boldly assigned the roles of secretary and hamlet chief to women. In fact, many women not only take on the responsibility of housework and hamlet work but also receive the trust and support of the people.

Carrying both shoulders

Responding to the movement of building new rural areas, people in Yen Phu hamlet, Yen Son commune (Do Luong district) enthusiastically launched the construction of rural roads. In 2015, over 95% of the inter-hamlet roads were completed, and everyone happily and enthusiastically supported funds, working days and donated land to build roads that met the new rural criteria.

Comrade Hoang Van Kien - Chairman of Yen Son Commune People's Committee said: "Yen Phu Hamlet impressed not only the commune leaders but also the people of other hamlets when it completed the hardening of most of the internal hamlet roads. This result is partly thanks to the enthusiasm and determination of the female hamlet chief Tang Thi Tuat".

Having been trusted by the people, just after retiring for 1 year, in early 2015, Ms. Tang Thi Tuat was nominated by the Party cell and elected by the people as the Head of Yen Phu Hamlet. Cheerful, enthusiastic, and a good talker with good actions are the common feelings of anyone who has ever met this female Party member and hamlet head.

For example, during the days of starting the construction of the traffic road, Hamlet Chief Tang Thi Tuat was always the first and last person, both actively participating in leveling the ground and being flexible in management, promptly grasping the thoughts and questions of the people to answer. Previously, when proposing the policy of mobilizing people to contribute 500,000 VND/person to build the traffic road, many people were afraid because Yen Phu is a purely agricultural hamlet, people's income only depends on the fields and small-scale livestock farming on a family scale.

However, Hamlet Chief Tang Thi Tuat boldly proposed to the Party cell to "seize the opportunity" for the State to support cement for road construction and she herself "took" the job of mobilizing the people. With the "secret" of soft and gentle propaganda, both analyzing and encouraging, in just a short time, 100% of the households agreed with the hamlet's policy. In just over half a year, the people not only contributed enough money and working days to complete most of the internal roads in Yen Phu village but also had enough left over to prepare to rebuild the hamlet's cultural house.

Sharing her experiences in the work, Comrade Tang Thi Tuat confided: “In terms of propaganda and mobilization, female cadres have many advantages such as being closer to the people and being more flexible. However, female cadres also face many difficulties, such as limited time because they have to take care of both housework and social work. Having struggled with social work for many years, Village Chief Tang Thi Tuat believes that authorities at all levels need to pay more attention to training and finding sources of village cadres associated with rejuvenating the team.

Ms. Tang Thi Tuat - Secretary of Yen Phu hamlet Party cell, Yen Son commune, Do Luong.

Regarding women participating in Party committees, working as secretaries and hamlet chiefs, comrade Le Minh Phuc - Deputy Head of the Organization Board of Do Luong District Party Committee said: "Currently, there are 124 women participating in Party committees in the district, 25 female secretaries and hamlet chiefs, of which 14 are also secretaries and hamlet chiefs. Most of the female secretaries and hamlet chiefs have promoted their leadership roles, built good development movements and have high prestige in the community, for example: Phan Thi Dao - Hamlet Chief, Secretary of Dien Tien Party Cell, Luu Son Commune; Nguyen Thi Phuong - Secretary of Hoa Phu Party Cell, Hien Son Commune; Le Thi Tuyet - Hamlet Chief, Secretary of Dien Hong Party Cell, Luu Son Commune...

There is even a female secretary and hamlet chief born in 1993, like Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong in Hoa Phu hamlet, Hien Son commune. Ms. Phuong has been the party cell secretary and hamlet chief for nearly 2 years and is the youngest female "leader" in Do Luong district.

Taking on the role of village leader when she was only 21 years old, Phuong was initially confused and worried, but with the enthusiastic support of her family, neighbors, especially the Party Committee, the government, and the determination, initiative, daring to think and do of the youth, Phuong had many good and creative ways to lead the activities of the village to effectively carry out movements, especially in building new rural areas such as through the social network Facebook, calling on children working far from home to support the village with 7 million VND to build rural roads, build the campus of the village cultural house with a total amount of over 350 million VND.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, Party cell secretary of Hoa Phu hamlet, Hien Son commune, Do Luong, photo by Thuy Hang

In addition, Phuong also mobilized her parents to donate 1,600 square meters of land to expand rural roads. From the example of the female party secretary's family, the people in the village also voluntarily donated 1,300 square meters of land to expand village roads...

In fact, taking on the position of village secretary or hamlet chief is quite a difficult job and is often compared to "eating at home and carrying the whole village's food". However, "for many women, when trusted by the organization and the people, boldly entrusting the position of hamlet chief, they have shown that they are no less than men, being proactive, flexible in solving problems, not afraid of conflicts, and bravely facing difficulties", said comrade Phan Van Toan - Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee of Yen Thanh District Party Committee.

The proof is that in Yen Thanh district, there are currently 47 female Party cell secretaries and 35 female hamlet chiefs, many of whom have always promoted their leadership role, creating solidarity and a movement for equal development in the locality. Such as Ms. Ngo Thi Huyen - Party cell secretary of hamlet 5, Tang Thanh commune. Passionate and enthusiastic about her work and always close to and concerned about the lives of the people, Ms. Huyen is loved and trusted by the people. For example, in early 2016, she led the Party cell to carry out a thematic activity on converting winter corn from only growing for livestock to growing commercial glutinous corn.

Secretary of the Party cell of Hamlet 5, Tang Thanh Commune, Ngo Thi Huyen (left) guides people in growing winter-spring glutinous corn.

Looking at the lush green corn fields that are ripening, Ms. Tran Thi Lien, a resident of Hamlet 5, said: “Our hamlet successfully converted the structure of winter corn thanks to the efforts of Secretary Ngo Thi Huyen and the Party cell. Seeing Ms. Huyen and other Party members do it first and effectively, everyone followed suit.” Comrade Le Manh Giam, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tang Thanh Commune, said: “Ms. Ngo Thi Huyen, as well as many female cadres in other hamlets in the area, always know how to balance and arrange family and social work to fulfill both roles, for the benefit of the people and the development of the locality. Currently, we are in the process of electing Ms. Huyen to join the Executive Committee of the Women's Union of Tang Thanh Commune.”

In other districts such as Nghi Loc, Quy Chau, Nghia Dan... there are also many female "leaders" who are good at village affairs and housework. From farmers with muddy hands and feet, they have grown up by actively participating in village activities, striving to become party members and then being trusted by the party committee, elected by the people to be party cell secretaries and village chiefs. Many women are also typical examples of good economic performance, building new cultural families at the grassroots level.

Need trust and sharing

According to comrade Luong Dinh Thanh - Deputy Secretary of the Nghi Xa Commune Party Committee (Nghi Loc), women taking on the leading position in the village will face more difficulties because of family work, the burden of making a living, health limitations, and the male-dominated ideology of female superiority that has long been rooted in the countryside. However, in return, they are persistent, gentle, flexible, dedicated, and devoted to their work, combining firmness and softness, so they have high persuasiveness in propaganda work, mobilizing people to bring the Party's policies and the State's laws into life; and implementing emulation movements at the grassroots level.

Typically, in Nghi Xa commune, there are Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan - Hamlet 3 and Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam - Hamlet 6, both of the "7X" generation, who have 8 years of "seniority" as Party cell secretaries. Although they are women, they are not inferior to male Party cell secretaries. The proof is that for many years, these two female leaders have continuously ranked the Party cell as excellent among 11 rural Party cells.

Party cell secretary of hamlet 3, Nghi Xa commune, Nguyen Thi Lan.

However, according to leaders of some localities, in order for female village leaders to be able to fulfill their two roles, they need the trust and encouragement of the Party Committee and government, the trust and support of the people and the sharing of their families, especially their husbands and children. In reality, many women have the capacity but find it difficult to participate and complete social work well if they do not receive sympathy and sharing from their families. Therefore, for female cadres, the issue of clearing the mind is very important, not only to make women more confident and bold in asserting their own abilities but also to eliminate social prejudices against rural women when participating in village and national affairs.

Talking about her "carrying the jail and" job, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan - Party Cell Secretary and Head of the Front Work Committee of Hamlet 3, Nghi Xa Commune said: "Being the head of a hamlet is as busy as having a baby. Everything requires me to be present, from funerals, weddings, reconciliations to checking the situation of pests and diseases, irrigating the fields, environmental sanitation work, supervising road construction... Without good health, dedication, trust and support from superiors, especially sharing and solid support from the family, it is difficult to take on and shoulder all the work."

Ms. Lan also said that she joined the party in 2005 and by 2008 was elected as secretary. The party cell had 28 members, most of whom were older, so in the beginning she faced a lot of pressure. However, with the dedication, guidance, and experience of previous party members, combined with her own efforts, she is now confident in her role as village leader.

She confided: "My grandparents and uncles are all party members, so why don't I continue the family tradition? Thinking of that, I always try to fulfill my duties as a wife and mother in the family and my responsibilities to the people and the Party." Despite being so busy, the female Party cell secretary and head of the front work committee of hamlet 3 still works on 8-9 fields, raises 2 cows, 30-40 poultry...

Ms. Ngo Thi Huyen - Secretary of the Party Cell of Hamlet 5, Tang Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh) also said: For women, a new role means more time and more responsibilities to shoulder, which also means more love and sharing from husband and children, and support and trust from neighbors. That is a solid spiritual support for women to confidently contribute and complete their tasks. "Experience shows that if words go hand in hand with actions, be impartial, open and transparent, and create solidarity and unity from top to bottom, everything will go smoothly..." - Ms. Huyen shared.

The common point of the female secretaries and village heads who grew up from the grassroots movement is their enthusiasm and dedication to their work. And even though they are the “leaders” of the village, when they return home, they are still good mothers, good wives, and good daughters-in-law. Their effective and practical work has contributed to creating positive changes in economic development, hunger eradication, poverty reduction in the locality and affirming the role and position of rural women in the new era.

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