Uncle Ho's heart for Vietnamese women

(Baonghean.vn) - President Ho Chi Minh paid special attention to the cause of women's liberation. He affirmed: "The beautiful landscape of Vietnam is woven and embroidered by our women, young and old, to make it more beautiful and brilliant". If we carry out a revolution without liberating women, we will only liberate half of the world and only by carrying out a revolution to liberate the nation and gain national independence will women be liberated.

When the country was immersed in the dark night of slavery, President Ho Chi Minh paid special attention to women. Because women are the most miserable class of the "poor". They not only had to endure the pain of a nation that had lost its country, had all its freedoms and democracy taken away, but were also mistreated and trampled on human dignity. He hated the rulers who "treated women in the most vile way, insulting their customs, chastity and lives".

President Ho Chi Minh with officials of the Central Office of the Vietnam Women's Union in Viet Bac, February 1949.

In his work “The Verdict on the French Colonial Regime”, Nguyen Ai Quoc exposed the nature of French colonialism as a regime of “robbery and murder”, “rape of women and children”. He denounced the inhumane acts of the colonial invaders towards women: “A European scolding Annamese women as whores and sucklings is a normal thing. Right in the middle of Ben Thanh market in Saigon… European market guards did not hesitate to use beef whips and batons to beat native women, forcing them to avoid blocking the way.”

Stemming from his immense compassion and deep sympathy for the extreme suffering that women had to endure under the colonial and feudal regimes, Ho Chi Minh always set forth the urgent need to liberate “half the world” from the “chains of slavery”. He determined: “Women make up half of the total population. To build socialism, we must truly liberate women and respect women’s rights”.

This was one of the motivations that helped Him overcome all difficulties and challenges to, together with the entire Party and people, overthrow the semi-feudal colonial regime and give birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to realize "gender equality".

Ethnic women delegates from Ha Giang province visited Hanoi and were happy to meet Uncle Ho on November 25, 1965.

Right in the first General Election on January 6, 1946, he happily realized that "Women are the most enthusiastic voters". After becoming President, despite being busy with a thousand things, he always gave generations of Vietnamese women his attention, love and respect.

President Ho Chi Minh highly appreciated the position and role of women in the historical process of building and defending the country. In the poem "History of our country", he affirmed: "Our women are not ordinary. Fighting the East, pacifying the North is an example for all generations". Therefore, he was always proud: "The Vietnamese people are a heroic people... Vietnamese women are heroic women". On the occasion of the anniversary of the Hai Ba Trung uprising and International Women's Day (March 8, 1952), President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter of encouragement and praise to women. At the end of the letter, he affirmed: "The beautiful mountains and rivers of Vietnam are woven and embroidered by our women, young and old, to become more beautiful and brilliant".

In the struggle for national liberation, President Ho Chi Minh identified women as one of the decisive factors in the success or failure of the revolution.

Uncle Ho with delegates attending the 3rd National Women's Congress, March 1961.

At the Anniversary of the Founding of the Vietnam Women's Union (October 20, 1966), President Ho Chi Minh mentioned the proud patriotic tradition of Vietnamese women: "From the beginning of the first century, the Trung Sisters raised the flag of uprising to fight the enemy to save the country and the people, until today, every time the country is in danger, our women enthusiastically stand up, contributing their worthy part to the cause of national liberation. Therefore, we have a very eloquent proverb: "When the enemy comes to our house, women also fight".

He understood the hardships and silent sacrifices of Vietnamese women in the fierce war conditions. Not only did they participate in the resistance war, they also had to take care of the housework so that their husbands and children could go to fight the enemy with peace of mind. The fields, gardens, houses, taking care of children, supporting parents... all fell on the weak shoulders of the women and mothers. Therefore, our people are very grateful to the mothers of both the North and the South who gave birth to and raised generations of heroes of our country. In recognition of the great contributions of women in the sacred resistance war against the US to save the nation, Uncle Ho awarded Vietnamese women 8 noble golden words: "Heroic - Indomitable - Loyal - Responsible".

Hero Ngo Thi Tuyen, a militiawoman from Nam Ngan, Thanh Hoa, was honored to meet President Ho Chi Minh at the 4th National Congress of Heroes and Emulation Soldiers, Hanoi, December 30, 1966.

In the process of building and defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland, he realized that women have many leadership abilities, many women participate in leadership work from the grassroots to the central level, many are very talented, the advantage of female cadres is that they are "less prone to corruption, waste, do not drink too much, are less arrogant and commanding like some male cadres". Therefore, the Party, the Government and all levels and sectors must pay special attention to and promote women to the right positions and positions suitable to their abilities so that women have the conditions to develop their capacity.

He frankly criticized some Party officials for not properly assessing the role and position of women and considered this an "extremely dangerous disease", the worst remnant of the old regime, so he required timely correction.

President Ho Chi Minh presented orchids to three female militia delegates from Quang Binh and Vinh Linh, 1968.

During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh often encouraged and reminded women to strive to "liberate themselves" and not to rely on the Party and the Government. Once, at a conference, he saw all the women sitting in the last row. He said: Even sitting is not equal. Women who want equality do not have to wait for the Party and the Government or men to invite them to sit, but must fight and strive to win it themselves. To do so, women themselves must be proactive, determined, overcome difficulties, be confident, self-reliant, and self-reliant, and should not be self-deprecating. They must strive to study politics, study culture and technology; improve patriotism and socialist awareness; enthusiastically compete to practice "Diligence and thrift to build the Fatherland, diligence and thrift to build the family" to be worthy of being the masters of the country.

He devoted his entire life to the people and the country. Before “farewelling to the sun” to return to Marxism-Leninism, Uncle Ho left the entire Party, the entire people and the entire army a historic Testament. In it, he did not forget to mention Vietnamese women: “… The Party and the Government need to have a practical plan to train, promote and help more and more women to take charge of all tasks, including leadership. Women themselves must strive to rise up. That is a revolution that brings true equality to women."

President Ho Chi Minh visited female workers digging ditches to fight drought in Tu Liem, Hanoi, December 16, 1958.

In an interview with BBC Radio (UK), former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh said: President Ho Chi Minh was the one who initiated the path of women's liberation in Vietnam. He awakened women to participate in the liberation of the nation, humanity and thereby liberate themselves. President Ho Chi Minh always deeply sympathized with the suffering of Vietnamese women under the domination of French colonialism and feudal lackeys.

He clearly stated that gender inequality was not simply influenced by backward ideologies but mainly by the socio-economic system. Ho Chi Minh was the first Vietnamese leader to call for “realizing gender equality”, considering the cause of women’s liberation as a goal of the revolution.

In his will, Uncle Ho wrote, “In the cause of fighting against the US to save the country, women were extremely capable and made great contributions to combat and production. The Party and the Government need to have practical plans to train, promote and help more and more women to take on many jobs, including leadership. Women must strive to rise up, this is truly a revolution.”

Uncle Ho's concern for Vietnamese women was truly immense and humane. He once wrote: "Mr. Karl Marx said: Anyone who knows history knows that if you want to reform society without the help of women, it is certainly impossible (The Revolutionary Path).

President Ho Chi Minh awarded badges to delegates with many achievements at the Congress of Outstanding People in the Three Responsibilities Movement of Women in the Capital on December 2, 1965.

During a talk with Nghe An people's representatives on the occasion of their visit to their hometown on June 14, 1957, when talking about the province's achievements in the field of agriculture, Uncle Ho emphasized the role of women, saying: "I want to mention an achievement of the women of our province. That is the livestock raising movement". Uncle Ho praised: The women of Anh Son and Nghi Loc were more prominent in the movement and Uncle Ho advised the women of Anh Son and Nghi Loc to try harder to achieve better results, to be a model for other women to compete with. Women in other districts must compete to keep up with the women of Anh Son and Nghi Loc...

Next, Uncle Ho praised Ms. Truong Thi Tam in Nghia Dan who raised 300 chickens and 4 pigs by herself. She also farmed, participated in social work, and was the leader of the women's group. Uncle Ho said, "This is a heroic woman... A hero does not have to "conquer the East and punish the West", or do something strange and outstanding. Raising many pigs and chickens, increasing production, saving, participating in social work well, that is a hero, that is a soldier"... "If the sisters here try hard, everyone can become a hero, a soldier". Uncle Ho's advice was very specific, gentle, and extremely profound. Following Uncle Ho's advice to become a hero, a soldier is not something too far away. Each of us, sisters, should do well the simple, normal daily tasks in the family, hamlet, village, agency, and unit.

On December 9, 1962, Uncle Ho visited Vinh Mechanical Factory. Talking about the initiatives in improving production of the factory workers, Uncle Ho asked, "So, do the boys have more initiatives or do the girls have more initiatives?". Knowing that the boys had more initiatives, Uncle Ho gently encouraged, "The girls must try harder."

Uncle Ho visited his hometown Kim Lien, Nghe An in 1961.

Over the years, not letting down the trust and expectations of Uncle Ho, women across the country in general and Nghe An women in particular have made great efforts to study, practice, and rise up to affirm their role and position in society. Our Party and State have always created conditions for the development of women, through policies on women and gender equality to promote the role of women. Not only are they good wives and mothers in the family, many women have achieved outstanding achievements, recognized by society in many fields such as: politics, economics, culture, education, science, technology ...

With the attention of the Party and the State, and the efforts of women across the country, women's work in recent years has achieved many remarkable achievements, contributing significantly to the work of hunger eradication and poverty reduction, building and developing the country. In order for the women's movement to continue to develop, meeting the requirements of the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country, Party committees at all levels, authorities, ministries, departments, branches and the Vietnam Women's Union need to coordinate and create conditions for women to have more opportunities to contribute to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland, continuing to promote the tradition of "Heroic, indomitable, loyal, and responsible" in the new period, worthy of the eight golden words that President Ho Chi Minh dedicated to Vietnamese women.

Peace

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