Many women-led startup projects won awards at the Creative Startup Competition organized by the People's Committee of Hue City.

Creative

Born in 1966, Ms. Vo Thi Nhung Xuan, from Chan May commune, Lang Co district, is one of the exemplary figures embodying the spirit of daring to think and act among rural women. Having been involved in her family's traditional shrimp paste making for many years, Ms. Xuan's production was previously small-scale, mainly selling to acquaintances in the area, resulting in unstable income heavily dependent on the market and weather.

Recognizing the potential of her hometown's traditional craft, in 2021, Ms. Xuan boldly borrowed capital to invest in expanding production. She hired more workers, invested in machinery, and gradually standardized the processing procedures; at the same time, she focused on promoting and finding markets for her products. From a small establishment, she now processes more than 10 local specialty products such as fish sauce, shrimp paste, fermented fish paste, dried fish, dried squid, etc.

Not content with just production, Ms. Xuan also focuses on building a brand for her products. The Xuan Anh anchovy fish sauce and dried squid brands are gradually becoming known and trusted by consumers. Both products have been recognized as achieving OCOP 3-star standards, opening up great opportunities for them to reach a wider market.

Sharing her entrepreneurial journey, Ms. Xuan said: “The biggest challenges at first were capital and sales. Having been used to traditional methods, I had to learn everything from packaging and marketing to customer outreach to expand my business. Thanks to the support of the women's association and the encouragement of my family, I became more confident and dared to change and grow.” This bold innovation has helped her business continuously expand, increase profits, and create regular jobs for many local women.

While Ms. Xuan achieved success by developing traditional crafts, Ms. Le Thi Kim Thoa (born in 1985), from A Luoi 2 commune, represents a generation of young women who start businesses with a technological and creative mindset. Recognizing that many of A Luoi's distinctive agricultural products, such as Ra Du rice, black sticky rice, and smoked pork belly, are of high quality but little known, Ms. Thoa decided to start her own business, bringing her hometown's specialties to a wider market.

In the early days, selling the products faced considerable difficulties because consumers were still quite unfamiliar with the highland specialties. Ms. Thoa focused on building an eye-catching promotional image, providing detailed information about the origin, uses, and how to use the products on digital platforms. Thanks to this, the products gradually gained market acceptance, Ms. Thoa built a stable customer base, and gradually established the A Lưới agricultural product brand in the market.

"Starting a business isn't just about selling products; it's also about telling the story of the product, the land, and the people where you were born," Thoa shared about her journey.

Companionship and connection

To ensure the sustainable development of the women's entrepreneurship movement, activities supporting the economic empowerment of women in the city have been strongly promoted and qualitatively reformed towards comprehensive support. The City Women's Union has strengthened connections and collaboration with various sectors, levels, and social resources, while also promoting the proactive role of its members and women.

The Hue City Women's Union has sought out and supported 26 women's projects participating in the Creative Entrepreneurship Competition organized by the Hue City People's Committee, with 7 applications selected for the final round; organized 15 "Women Entrepreneurs" forums, creating a space for networking, consulting, and guiding product development for women. Simultaneously, it organized 62 training courses for over 5,000 women who are business owners, cooperatives, and household businesses on digital transformation, technology application, artificial intelligence, and product marketing linked to the green economic development trend; and supported 31 businesses, cooperatives, and household businesses owned by women to participate in trade fairs inside and outside the city.

Providing financial support for women entrepreneurs is also a crucial activity, as the trust program with the Social Policy Bank continues to be strengthened, creating an important foundation for women's economic development. Currently, the total outstanding entrusted loans reach over 2,852 billion VND with more than 50,600 borrowing households, and the overdue loan rate is only 0.08%. Activities supporting sustainable poverty reduction and ensuring social security have been effectively implemented, helping hundreds of women's households achieve stable lives.

Ms. Tran Thi Kim Loan, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and Chairwoman of the Hue City Women's Union, affirmed: “The women's entrepreneurship movement not only contributes to enhancing economic empowerment but also inspires self-confidence and creativity, helping women assert their position in the family and society, and making positive contributions to the sustainable development of the city. The Hue City Women's Union will always accompany, support, and equip its members with the necessary knowledge to confidently and further their entrepreneurial and economic development journey.”

Text and photos: Thanh Thảo

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/khoi-nghiep/dam-nghi-dam-lam-de-di-xa-hon-162612.html