Ea Sô is a particularly disadvantaged commune in Ea Kar district ( Dak Lak province) with 11 ethnic groups living together, of which ethnic minorities account for more than 60%, mainly the Ede people.

Ms. Vo Thi Mong Khuong, President of the Women's Union of Ea So commune, said: "In our commune, gender inequality still exists, significantly affecting socio -economic development and leading to many limitations in the lives of women and children, especially ethnic minority women and children. Domestic abuse, violence, consanguineous marriage, child marriage, and having many children still occur… In particular, outdated and stereotypical notions about the roles of women and men in the family have hindered the development of women and girls."

Implementing Project 8 "Achieving gender equality and addressing urgent issues for women and children," the Women's Union of the commune advised on the establishment of two pilot models of "Community Communication Teams" in Ea Púk and Cư Ana Săn hamlets with 14 members.

To ensure the models operate effectively, the District Women's Union has trained and equipped 100% of its members with the knowledge and skills to operate the groups. Based on this, the commune-level Women's Union has guided the groups to conduct field surveys to understand the situation of gender inequality, difficulties, and limitations related to women and children, such as: inequality in decision-making on family matters, poor hygiene, the custom of arranged marriages, child marriage, consanguineous marriage, etc. From the survey results, the groups develop plans and content for regular monthly and quarterly communication and determine communication methods suitable to the practical situation: direct meetings with residents, household visits, individual counseling, radio broadcasts, leaflet distribution, etc. After each communication session, the group members hold a debriefing meeting to improve the effectiveness of subsequent activities.

From the two pilot models established in Ea Púk and Cư Ana Săn hamlets, Ea Sô commune has now expanded to seven community communication teams throughout the area. Thanks to the efforts of its members, these "Community Communication Teams" have proactively organized 28 direct awareness sessions annually, distributing over 2,000 leaflets on preventing domestic violence, child marriage, consanguineous marriage, and reproductive health care. They have also conducted three public address system sessions to inform members, women, and the general public about the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence, the Law on Gender Equality, the Law on Marriage and Family, and the prevention of child marriage and consanguineous marriage, tailored to the needs of each hamlet. These awareness sessions, combined with hamlet meetings, have become a regular activity in the hamlets.

"The activities of the 'Community Communication Team' models have been effective and had a positive impact, contributing to changing the 'mindset and practices' of people in the area. Seeing the benefits of gaining more knowledge, the participation rate of people in communication activities has reached over 60%, especially the active participation of ethnic minorities. The teams have successfully advised on more than 20 cases related to child marriage, the custom of arranged marriage, violence prevention, etc.," shared Ms. Vo Thi Mong Khuong.

According to the Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Ea Sô commune, the work of promoting gender equality among men has also yielded positive results. Thirty husbands in the villages and hamlets have shared household chores with their wives, agreed to allow their wives to participate in Women's Union activities, sports movements, and enjoy cultural and spiritual values.

Beyond just communication, the group also serves as a bridge between the people and the government, promptly reflecting the aspirations and difficulties of the people, helping the locality gain another channel to understand the ideological situation and public opinion. The group proposed to the commune government to support 9 disadvantaged families with 90 million VND to develop the "Raising cattle to escape poverty" model; and to help women access services more easily, such as health insurance, healthcare, and protecting a clean living environment...

It can be said that the Community Communication Team model in Ea Sô commune, Ea Kar district, Dak Lak province in particular, and in other communes across the country in general, has been making a significant contribution to raising awareness, changing behavior, and promoting policies on ethnic minorities, gender equality, and sustainable development in an increasingly practical and effective manner.

NGUYET MINH

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/xa-hoi/dan-toc-ton-giao/cac-van-de/giup-phu-nu-dan-toc-thieu-so-thay-doi-nep-nghi-cach-lam-832758