Starting a business to enhance the role and status of women.

Implementing the "Support for Women's Entrepreneurship, 2017-2025" project according to Decision No. 939/QD-TTg dated June 30, 2017, of the Prime Minister (hereinafter referred to as Project 939), women's associations at all levels in Quang Tri province have actively and proactively advised local Party committees and authorities to organize and implement the project, creating conditions for women to start businesses, develop their businesses, and contribute to stabilizing family economies , increasing income, and improving quality of life.

Contracts and memoranda of understanding for the consumption of products made by female members were signed between producers, suppliers, and distributors at the supply-demand connection conference organized by the Provincial Women's Union - Photo: HT

According to Nguyen Thi Que Phuong, Standing Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union, in recent times, women's unions at all levels have always accompanied, supported, and encouraged women of all backgrounds, ages, and professions, especially those in difficult circumstances, ethnic minority women, and women with disabilities, to rise up, confidently start businesses, enrich their families and hometowns, create jobs for local workers, promote gender equality, and enhance the role and status of women in society.

From the women's entrepreneurship movement, women's associations at all levels have supported over 889 women entrepreneurs, achieving and exceeding the targets of Project 939; actively campaigned for the establishment and maintenance of the Provincial Women Entrepreneurs Association and 16 women's business clubs; established 46 cooperatives and 230 cooperative groups; implemented the scientific research project "Research on building a supply-demand connection for goods to support women's economic development"...

These are the clearest examples of the spread of the entrepreneurial spirit among women members, and the women's associations at all levels have also become centers connecting social resources, supporting women on their path to entrepreneurship, business, and economic development."

Sharing about her entrepreneurial journey and initial successes, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Dao, from Ho Xa town, Vinh Linh district, said: “In 2019, I proposed the idea of ​​“Improving production and business efficiency through utilizing pig manure to process into organic fertilizer” to participate in the Women with Green Economy competition sponsored by the Vietnam Climate Change Innovation Center.

Out of over 750 projects nationwide, my project was one of 16 outstanding proposals/ideas selected for recognition, awarded for its potential, and received funding of 959 million VND to realize the idea. In 2023, I continued to register for the "Women Entrepreneurs - Leveraging Local Resources" competition and successfully passed the qualifying round against 2,700 projects, winning second prize in the regional round and second prize in the national final round.

In June 2024, I was again invited to participate in the "When Women Take Control" competition organized by Vietnam Television. With 500 entries, I made it into the top 15 outstanding ideas nationwide. Notably, I was honored to be the sole representative from Quang Tri province and the Central region to receive the "Vietnamese Women" award in 2024 from the Vietnam Women's Union, presented at the ceremony held in Hanoi on October 12, 2024.

Through these competitions, I have strengthened my knowledge of life, creativity, and business development; broadened my horizons, and affirmed the position of women in the new era.”

As for Ms. Nong Thi Hanh, Director of Ta Lu Coffee Co., Ltd. (Huong Hoa district), her entrepreneurial journey, in addition to her personal efforts, has also received significant support from women's associations at all levels.

In 2023, in response to the "Startup Idea and Project Proposal" competition with the theme "Women Entrepreneurs - Leveraging Local Resources" launched and organized by the Women's Union at all levels, Ms. Hanh registered to participate with her startup idea "Organizing Farmers to Produce Coffee Sustainably" and won second prize at the provincial level.

Continuing to build upon her achievements and the entrepreneurial idea from 2023, with the desire to develop an organic coffee production chain, enhance product value while ensuring sustainable development, in 2024, Ms. Hanh participated in the national "Women's Creative Entrepreneurship and Green Transformation" competition organized by the Vietnam Women's Union with the project "Developing Organic Coffee in Huong Hoa" and excellently won second prize nationwide.

“Currently, Ta Lu Coffee Co., Ltd. has 8 product lines including: ground coffee, roasted coffee beans, specialty coffee, paper filter coffee, Blen coffee, Liberica coffee, tea made from coffee husks, and organic microbial fertilizer from coffee husks. Among these, the ground coffee and roasted coffee beans have been certified as meeting OCOP 4-star standards. In addition, the company is expanding its production to include other characteristic agricultural products of Huong Hoa district such as: honey, dried bamboo shoots, black pepper, turmeric starch, etc.”

"I hope that the Women's Union at all levels will continue to organize competitions to create opportunities for members and women entrepreneurs, acting as a bridge to support women-owned businesses and enterprises to break through and develop; and encourage women to boldly assert their role and position in economic development and other areas of social life," Ms. Hanh shared.

It is known that, in implementing Project 939, the Women's Union at all levels has intensified propaganda and mobilization of cadres and members to implement resolutions, projects, and programs for local economic development. To support women in starting businesses, the Women's Union at all levels has organized 98 training and communication courses on market research, marketing, e-commerce; brand building, business plan development, and communication on the production and sale of quality and safe agricultural and food products...

In particular, the association has actively organized activities to introduce, promote, and connect the consumption of safe products made by its female members with consumers throughout the province.

Specifically, during the period 2020-2024, the organization held 3 conferences connecting supply and demand for products produced by women members; 75 agricultural and rural industrial product fairs and markets; direct meetings were organized with Co.opmart Dong Ha supermarket, hotels, restaurants, and companies that provide lunch for workers to connect product consumption; 9 memoranda of understanding were signed for cooperation in product consumption between households/cooperatives/associations and restaurants, hotels, and schools; 20 specialized Facebook pages were created, and booths were operated to display, promote, and introduce safe food products of women members...

Initial activities supporting women's entrepreneurship have brought about changes in thinking and methods of implementing support activities for women's business development and entrepreneurship; unleashing the spirit, potential, and creativity of women, thereby empowering many women to change their perceptions, boldly innovate, overcome challenges to rise up in entrepreneurship, assert themselves, and develop economically.

Autumn and Summer

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/khoi-nghiep-de-nang-cao-vai-role-vi-the-phu-nu-189631.htm