Digital transformation helps women escape poverty sustainably

Women's Unions at all levels in Ho Chi Minh City have implemented many effective ways to 'universalize' to members the skills to adapt to the digital transformation trend, helping each other escape poverty.

Help each other escape poverty

Implementing the goal of the Sustainable Poverty Reduction Program for the 2026-2030 period, Ho Chi Minh City strives to raise the city's income poverty line to twice the national standard by the end of 2030, with basically no more poor households according to the national poverty line, and less than 0.5% of poor households according to the city's poverty line.

Digital transformation helps women access information faster and more accurately, from local news to knowledge about raising children, taking care of the family or developing themselves. Photo: Thuc Vy.

Accordingly, the Women's Union (WU) in many localities in Ho Chi Minh City has had many creative ways in propaganda work, providing essential information to members. In particular, taking advantage of digital social networking platforms such as Facebook, Zalo to propagate, mobilize, and guide members to participate in effective economic models, access preferential loans, apply scientific and technical advances in cultivation, animal husbandry, and develop household economy...

Typically, the Long Truong Ward Women's Union has helped 89 households escape poverty. According to the report of the Long Truong Ward Women's Union, from 2022 to now, the affiliated chapters and the Ward Women's Union have completed 48/48 emulation projects in the fields of social security, environmental protection, etc. The family of Ms. Pham Thi Hoa - 64 years old, in Ward 13, has difficult circumstances and was supported by the Women's Union with capital so that she could open a vegetarian food shop. With "support", Ms. Hoa's family was able to escape poverty last year. In addition to Ms. Hoa, some members also received loans to sell breakfast food, buy sewing machines or motorbikes as a means of livelihood. The loan amount is only 2-5 million VND, although not large, but has helped each other overcome hardship.

Or the Women's Union of Binh Loi Trung Ward helps members to digitally transform through activities such as: mobilizing members to install the VNeID application for level 2 identification and the Ho Chi Minh City Digital Citizen application, encouraging the use of health insurance cards and integrating medical examination and treatment information into the Electronic Health Book, reviewing, making a list and mobilizing support for health insurance cards for women in difficult circumstances.

The model “Binh Loi Trung Women - Digital Connection Ambassadors” will select 1-2 people from each branch who are active association officials and members with a good understanding of technology to be connection ambassadors. These “digital connection ambassadors” will guide and support women to gradually master digital utilities in daily life, study, health care and administrative procedures, cashless payments, identifying false information, preventing online fraud, etc.

The Women's Union of Tan Nhat commune has implemented many practical activities to take care of policy families, near-poor households, disadvantaged households, and lonely elderly people. At the same time, it has organized campaigns to maintain environmental hygiene, build green - clean - beautiful roads, implement green recycling models, collect plastic waste, contribute to social security and support women in economic development.

In order to help members and their families develop the economy and sustainably reduce poverty, the association has established professional groups and teams, creating jobs for members in residential areas; supporting women to start businesses. Many typical models have been implemented such as: "Grains of love - Sharing love", "Kitchen of love", "Helping disadvantaged women", "Exchanging plastic waste for trees", "Green tree stall"...

Thanks to her proficient use of social networking platforms, Ms. Nguyen Yen Vy in An Hoi Tay Ward (HCMC) has had many advantages in business. Photo: Thuc Vy.

No one is left behind

Aiming at the goal of sustainable poverty reduction, at the 1st Congress of Women's Delegates of Tan Nhut Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, term 2025-2030, the Women's Union of Tan Nhut Commune set out the following goals: striving for 100% of poor and near-poor households with women to be supported, of which at least 10 households will escape poverty sustainably. 100% of women managing enterprises, cooperatives, and cooperatives will have access to training courses, coaching, and application of science and technology in production and business.

In particular, 100% of cadres and civil servants specializing in association work will participate in at least one capacity-building course on digital transformation; proficiently use digital platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, and build at least one effective solution to gather members in cyberspace.

The Long Truong Ward Women's Union has set out 12 specific targets to strive for. The targets focus on mobilizing women to participate in at least one type of health training, promoting the image of the people and traditions of the heroic 6-commune wetland, supporting women to escape poverty and near-poverty, accompanying women with ideas or start-up projects, and bringing the "Digital Education for the People" movement into the activities of the association.

Analyzing the contribution of digital transformation, applying information platforms and social networks to propaganda work towards poverty alleviation and economic development, Ms. Pham Phuong Khanh - President of the Women's Union of Binh Loi Trung Ward said that digital transformation has great significance, is a revolution that is profoundly changing the lives of each female member.

This helps women access information faster and more accurately, from local news to knowledge about raising children, taking care of the family or developing themselves. At the same time, it opens the door to online public services, helping to save time and effort on administrative tasks that take a lot of time. Especially, it creates new opportunities for economic development, from learning new skills to doing online business and expanding the market.

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Loan - Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Union affirmed that digital transformation is not only a trend but also a mission. This is the key to help women achieve equality in accessing knowledge, autonomy in life and participate more strongly in the current socio-economic development.

According to Ms. Loan, when women know how to use technology, the benefits are multi-dimensional, such as: increasing their own income, helping their children study, making family life safer, having better understanding and care for their family... "The biggest goal of the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Union is to help women not be left behind in the digital transformation era, in the digital age. That means that women today, regardless of their age - 18 years old, 25 years old or 65 years old, can access, use and apply technology confidently and usefully in their own lives and work," Ms. Loan affirmed.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/chuyen-doi-so-giup-phu-nu-thoat-ngheo-ben-vung-d780975.html