Supporting ethnic minority women in economic activities.

Việt Nam•30/11/2024

To improve the role and status of women from ethnic minority groups, the Women's Union at all levels in the province has implemented a movement to support economic development, helping women rise up and achieve legitimate wealth.

Red-fleshed dragon fruit - one of the successful economic development models for women in the Ba Chẽ highlands.

Based on closely following the province's key economic programs and the economic situation of the localities, women's associations at all levels have mobilized cadres, members, and women to focus on building effective economic models. Among these, connecting and supporting women in accessing loans for economic activities has proven to be a highly effective measure in recent years.

Ms. Chiu Thi Hoa's family, residing in Dong Va village, Yen Than commune, Tien Yen district, recently received a loan of 100 million VND from the preferential credit program for job creation. With this money, Ms. Hoa expanded her nursery, supplying seedlings of various types (including cinnamon, pine, and mahogany) to households planting large timber forests both within and outside the district.

This is the third time Ms. Hoa has received a loan from the preferential credit program for job creation, to gradually build and develop her forest planting and nursery model. Ms. Hoa said: "With the help of the Women's Union of Yen Than commune, I received a loan the first time to plant trees and establish a nursery for various plant varieties, the second time to drill a well to provide irrigation water for the nursery, and now, the third time, I have received a loan to expand the model to twice its original scale. I am very grateful to the women in the commune for their encouragement and connections that helped my family obtain loans and develop our economy. With the expansion of the model, I will also be able to create jobs for several women in the village."

Through movements such as "Women excelling in economic activities" and "Helping poor women find solutions," the Women's Union at all levels in the province has focused all resources on supporting poor women and women in difficult circumstances to develop their economy and increase their income. Particularly in ethnic minority areas, the Women's Union has actively supported members in registering and implementing economic development models suitable to the characteristics of each locality, linked to the economic restructuring in the construction of new rural areas, providing support in terms of seedlings, livestock, capital, transfer of scientific and technological advancements, and product consumption. As a result, many models have been maintained and implemented effectively by women members, helping households stabilize their lives and creating many jobs for female workers in rural and mountainous areas.

Officials from the Women's Union of Yen Than commune (Tien Yen district) are assessing the situation regarding the use of preferential loans by members for economic development. *Photo: Hoang Giang*

Not only do the Women's Union branches throughout the province facilitate access to loans for investment and economic development for ethnic minority women, but they also regularly monitor the legitimate needs and aspirations of women in transitioning and transferring suitable economic models. For example, the red-fleshed dragon fruit cultivation model of Ms. Ngo Thi Thuan in Ward 1, Ba Che town, Ba Che district, has been supported by the Women's Union since 2012. This model has brought hundreds of millions of dong in income to Ms. Thuan's family each year. However, due to the declining quality of the fruit, Ms. Thuan has again proposed to the Women's Union since the beginning of 2024 to receive support in transitioning to a new cultivation model.

In response to the legitimate request of member Ngo Thi Thuan, officials from the Women's Union of Ba Che district and town directly surveyed and assessed the current situation in her garden; this served as the initial basis for providing capital, seeds, and technical advice according to the member's needs and conditions.

It can be seen that the economic models implemented by ethnic minority women are much more diverse and abundant than before. A notable feature is that these models promote the self-reliance of households, in which women have clearly demonstrated their role and position, from changing perceptions in their work methods to proactively encouraging their husbands, children, and family members to actively and boldly invest capital and apply science, technology, and information technology in economic development activities.

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