Huong Hoa District Women's Union organizes a contest of communication initiatives on gender equality - Photo: TCL
In Huong Linh commune, Huong Hoa district, in the past, many ethnic minority women here had almost no voice in their families and had little participation in social activities. Child marriage, domestic violence, gender stereotypes... were once the "cornerstones" hindering the development of PN&TE. However, since Project 8 was implemented, community awareness has gradually changed.
Mobile communication campaigns and community activities organized regularly at the grassroots level by "Community Communication Teams", "Community Trusted Addresses", and "Leaders of Change" Clubs have contributed to "melting" prejudices, helping women dare to stand up and speak up, dare to aspire to rise up.
Secretary of the Party Committee of Huong Linh Commune, Huong Hoa District, Nguyen Phu Son said: “Through programs and activities organized by provincial and district departments, branches, and sectors, together with local Party committees, authorities, fronts, and organizations, gender equality (GEM) is gradually entering people's thinking and actions.
From having to persuade, propagate, and mobilize, many people, especially men, have realized their responsibilities, abandoned the idea of "respecting men more than women", violent actions, and inappropriate family standards, and proactively shouldered the responsibility for their wives and mothers, actively participated in family work, and took care ofand educated their children. The role of women in the family has also gradually changed. Many women participate or replace their husbands in village, hamlet, and residential area meetings, and even become heads of associations and organizations in villages and communes - things that were previously unheard of among ethnic minorities.
To achieve these changes, the Women's Union of Huong Hoa district has made efforts to implement the contents as well as the goals and targets of Project 8. Typically, the Women's Union of the district has conducted surveys, monitored and provided technical support to communes with model projects established in remote, isolated and border villages.
After the pilot model, the District Women's Union continued to establish 34 "Community Communication Teams" in extremely disadvantaged villages. Organized training on planning and communication skills on gender equality for members of the community communication team; organized communication on domestic violence prevention and control, on changing gender stereotypes in the family, on child marriage prevention and control... in communes and towns under the project for more than 12,000 cadres, members and people. Organized the "Gender Communication Initiative" contest, the "Exchange and sharing of experiences in implementing the community communication team model" forum, with more than 300 participants.
With the characteristics of mountainous areas, fragmented roads, scattered population, and uneven educational levels, accessing and implementing initial activities encountered many difficulties. It was the dedication and support of grassroots staff and the sense of responsibility of the project implementation team that brought about positive results.
By the end of 2024, the district had organized more than 82 communication sessions on gender equality in the family, violence prevention, and child-rearing skills for more than 15,000 officials, members and local people; built and maintained the activities of 24 "Trusted Community Addresses", 97 "Community Communication Teams" and 14 "Leaders of Change" Clubs. In particular, many men who previously only played the role of "head of the family" have now become companions, sharing responsibility and love.
The District Women’s Union has also organized 12 local policy dialogue conferences to listen to people’s opinions on issues related to PN&TE that still exist in residential communities. From there, local authorities in each commune and town find ways to remove and resolve the difficulties that people are facing.
Not only women, many activities of Project 8 combined with other projects have created conditions for children, especially girls, to access education, life skills, participate in forums and clubs to express their voices and opinions, building children's confidence, courage, and responsibility towards the collective and the community. It is also from these clubs that many students have developed their talents and knowledge to become typical "leaders" in propaganda work in the locality.
Despite many positive results, the implementation of Project 8 in Huong Hoa still faces many challenges. Some bad customs, early marriage, and domestic violence still permeate the villages. The project's models and activities have been welcomed and supported by the people and highly appreciated by local authorities and Party committees, contributing to raising awareness, changing thinking and working methods, but the process of changing awareness in some groups of people is still slow and passive.
Coordination between departments is sometimes not really smooth, there are still difficulties and problems related to policies and mechanisms or some activities are implemented slower than planned, disbursement progress has not been achieved according to the plan. Although grassroots staff have been trained, they are still confused and lack experience in project implementation.
Although there are still many difficulties, that has never discouraged the union officials on the front line for the advancement of women. In remote villages in the mountainous region of Huong Hoa, the journey of bringing knowledge, awakening power and raising awareness for women and girls is not easy, but the officials of the Women's Union of Huong Hoa district have tirelessly and persistently overcome difficulties to carry out with a strong belief in the humanistic values that Project 8 brings to each household, each roof.
Vice President of the Women's Union of Huong Hoa District, Le Hong Giang, shared with determination: “We are determined that no matter how difficult it is, we must do it. Because behind the bumpy red dirt roads are the hearts of women who are yearning to rise up, and children who are looking forward to a better future. We will constantly strive, accompanying the government, to raise community awareness, promote the power of women and children, promote gender equality and above all, build happy and livable villages.”
Tran Cat Linh
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/du-an-8-geo-mam-binh-dang-gioi-o-huong-hoa-193278.htm
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