Build economic models for members to learn from each other's experiences.
- It is known that the Women's Union of Thach Ha district is one of the localities with many activities and models to support women in economic development and sustainable poverty escape. Could you please tell us what typical models and activities the district has?
To help members have the opportunity to escape poverty and take control of their lives, in recent times, the Women's Union of Thach Ha district has actively coordinated with the Social Policy Bank, creating conditions for members to borrow preferential capital sources such as: capital for job creation, capital to support poor households, student capital... Through strict management and guidance for women to use capital effectively, many member families have had the opportunity to invest in production and business, improve their lives, and escape poverty.
Many member families have had the opportunity to invest in livestock farming, improve their lives, and escape poverty.
The Association also organizes training courses and seminars on household garden economic development, aiming at linkages in production and business; calling on women to support each other in economic development such as connecting and signing product consumption contracts between women in service businesses: restaurants, hotels, grocery stores with women working in production fields, etc.
Building pilot economic models. Specifically, the District Women's Union builds and supports the replication of many effective economic models led by women such as safe vegetable growing models and VietGAP livestock farming. Establishing cooperative groups such as: Cooperatives for raising chickens with links, cooperatives for raising goats, etc. These models not only create stable income for women, but also serve as a place for other members to learn from their experiences.
The Association also always encourages and encourages women to participate in the Self-managed Credit Savings model (also known as saving following Uncle Ho's example). This is one of the effective models, widely replicated in all women's associations in the district. Women voluntarily participate in contributing a small amount of money every month, then the groups review and lend to members in need with preferential interest rates to develop the family economy. This model not only helps women access capital but also creates a habit of saving and supporting each other in the community.
Work-family pressures and gender stereotypes still exist
In reality, in your opinion, what difficulties do women in rural areas often encounter when they want to escape poverty?
I see that women in rural areas, when wanting to escape poverty, often face many specific difficulties. Among them, the biggest difficulty is limited access to preferential capital . Because Compared to urban areas, rural women often have difficulty accessing preferential loans from banks and credit institutions due to lack of collateral, complicated procedures or lack of information about support programs.
Members support each other with working days to help stabilize their lives.
In addition, the lack of knowledge and skills is also a barrier that makes it more difficult for rural women to develop the economy or start a business . Although they are very hard-working and diligent, many women in rural areas have limited knowledge of business, financial management, marketing, as well as professional skills in new production fields. Meanwhile, training courses and technology transfer sometimes do not meet the needs, or there is still a gap in quality compared to actual requirements.
In addition, the pressure of family work and gender stereotypes still exist. Women in rural areas often have to shoulder a lot of housework, take care of children and the elderly, leading to not having much time and resources to focus on economic development. In addition, there are still certain gender stereotypes that women's main role is to take care of the family, which discourages them from participating in major economic activities.
Equipping yourself with digital knowledge and skills is extremely important.
To overcome difficulties and support female members to become rich legitimately, could you please tell us what the Women's Union of Thach Ha district has done, especially in the current era of digital transformation?
I think that equipping women with knowledge and skills, especially in the context of digital transformation today, is a key issue to support women members to escape poverty and stabilize their lives. The District Women's Union has also implemented many practical activities, focusing on improving the capacity of women to adapt to changes in the times. Specifically: Organizing training courses on basic digital skills. The District Women's Union has coordinated with specialized units to organize training courses on using computers, smartphones, the internet, basic applications such as email, social networks, online payments, etc. The goal is to help women become more familiar with and confident in the digital environment.
Every year, the Women's Union at all levels of Thach Ho district has supported many livelihood models for poor women.
The District Women's Union also organized sharing sessions, instructing women on how to promote products on social networks, how to conduct safe and effective online transactions. At the same time, it established a model for women to integrate into the online environment; participated in the competition on applying information technology in the activities of the Union...
As you have just shared about the efforts of the District Women's Union in supporting members to rise up and build their family economy, can you share about typical examples of people who have been supported by the District Women's Union with scientific and technical knowledge and have risen up to become rich in recent times?
There are quite a few typical economic development and startup models in the locality in recent times. Among them, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, owner of Lac Suu Ha Candy in Thach Kenh commune - won the third prize for startup ideas at the Ha Tinh province level in 2023.
Or Ms. Tran Thi Huyen, owner of Cu Do Le Phuong facility - Thach Ha town. This is a family that has been in the business of producing Cu Do candy for 3 generations. From the traditional way of making Cu Do candy, Ms. Huyen's family has gradually introduced techniques and technology into the processing process using modern machinery such as: ginger grinder, candy stirrer, electric pressure cooker, product packaging set...
Many members have come to learn from Ms. Huyen's family's experience, then invested in facilities to develop their family's economy.
The methodical investment in production not only helps the facility save labor and processing time, but also demonstrates the innovative and creative thinking of a person who loves and preserves the profession. Currently, on average, Ms. Huyen's facility produces 200 - 300 pieces of cu do each day; more than 60,000 products each year. The price ranges from 10,000 - 20,000 VND/piece.
Like the Le Phuong cu do candy brand, in the digital age, many members have come to learn from Ms. Huyen's family's experience, then invested in facilities, improved techniques to produce candy faster and with better quality. The whole Ha Tinh province has about 400 large and small candy kilns, attracting a large number of workers, with many famous brands such as: Cu do Thu Vien, Cau Phu, Huong Son, Cong Thao, Thu Chien, Thanh Hanh, Phong Nga... to work together to get rich and stabilize life.
Need to support members to apply the knowledge they have learned into practice.
According to you, what do the Associations at all levels want so that members in rural areas do not encounter difficulties in accessing modern knowledge and science and technology?
I think, with the current era of increasingly strong digital technology development, diversifying training and coaching forms for members and women is very important. We do not just stop at traditional training classes, the Association hopes to be able to deploy more flexible training forms, such as: specialized seminars, short-term training courses, online training programs (if infrastructure conditions allow), or practical experience sharing sessions from successful models.
The chicken farming cooperative has helped many rural women stabilize their lives.
I also hope to have a team of Association officials who are well-trained in professional skills and have knowledge of science and technology. Especially, they must be enthusiastic and dedicated in supporting and guiding members when they encounter difficulties in the process of developing their family economy or when starting a business.
At the same time, it is necessary to support members in applying the knowledge they have been trained in practice . Because we do not just stop at imparting knowledge, but the Association wants to have programs to support members in applying what they have learned in production and life. For example: Support women with capital, seeds, materials or expand connections with consumer markets... to help rural women be confident in the production and business environment, confidently realize their dream of starting a business and becoming rich.
Thank you!
Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/ha-tinh-phu-nu-nong-thon-van-kho-tiep-can-cac-nguon-von-vay-uu-dai-20250424170021296.htm
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