"Leverage" helps women rise to the top.

In recent years, the women's movement in the Van Don Special Economic Zone has seen many positive changes, making significant contributions to socio-economic development. Behind the effective production and business models of its members is the crucial role of the Women's Union of the Van Don Special Economic Zone and the Social Policy Bank, which serve as "leverage" helping women gain more resources to become self-reliant in the economy.

Following the guidance of the Provincial Women's Union, the Van Don Special Zone Women's Union has clearly defined its overarching direction as promoting the internal strength of women and linking economic development with building happy families. From there, the Union has effectively played the role of a "bridge," bringing preferential credit policies closer to its members.

Through savings and loan groups, the Women's Union has actively guided procedures and supported women in accessing capital from the Social Policy Bank to invest in production and business. To date, the total outstanding entrusted loans managed by the Women's Union of the special zone have reached VND 156.60 billion, becoming an important resource helping many women confidently start businesses, expand economic models, and gradually increase their income and stabilize their lives.

Ms. Do Thi Thuy checks the quality of a newly dried batch of shrimp before it's ready for processing. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

A prime example is the seafood processing model of Ms. Do Thi Thuy, a native of Van Don coastal region. Familiar with seafood since childhood, she has always been concerned about how to transform local seafood into convenient products suitable for modern families, not only for consumption fresh but also for consumption in other forms. Driven by this idea, she began researching and processing products such as oyster paste, mantis shrimp paste, shrimp paste, crab paste, and other seafood products. These products, bearing the distinctive flavors of Van Don, were quickly embraced by the market. This initial success emboldened her to establish Van Don Seafood Company Limited.

The shrimp paste product of Van Don Seafood Co., Ltd. has achieved OCOP 4-star rating.

Having overcome numerous challenges in brand building, the company's products now have a stable market presence, with its shrimp paste achieving a 4-star OCOP rating in Quang Ninh province . Thanks to its systematic and meticulous business practices and its focus on quality, the seafood paste products of Van Don Seafood Co., Ltd. are increasingly trusted by the market, and sales volume continues to increase. Currently, she is preparing the necessary conditions to expand the factory, upgrade equipment and technology, and especially to promote digital transformation in product advertising and sales.

Besides the strengths of the marine economy, many agricultural models run by women in Van Don are also showing positive results. A notable example is the peach blossom cultivation model for Tet (Lunar New Year) by the family of Ms. Vu Thi Hung, in Hamlet 6, Van Don Special Economic Zone. With the support of the Women's Union of the Special Economic Zone and a loan of 100 million VND from the Social Policy Bank, Ms. Hung's family invested in expanding their peach orchard to 3 hectares and organized more systematic care. As a result, the model generates an income of approximately 150 million VND per year, while also creating regular employment for 5 to 7 local women workers.

For over 10 years, Ms. Hung has been dedicated to cultivating peach trees, personally caring for them, accumulating experience from practical work, and gradually perfecting techniques for shaping, pruning, and adjusting the flowering time so that the trees bloom precisely for Tet (Lunar New Year). As a result, her family's peach orchard has become a model, studied and replicated by many women's association members in the region.

The preferential capital and the close support of the Women's Union have become a solid "lever," helping women in Van Don to effectively exploit the potential from the sea, the land, and their own diligence and creativity. As a result, they have not only increased their family income but also made a significant contribution to the sustainable socio-economic development goals of the special economic zone.

Hoai Minh

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/don-bay-giup-phu-nu-vuon-len-3403296.html