Developing the women's movement in disadvantaged areas.

With the motto "Wherever there are women, there is a women's association movement," over the years, the Women's Union of Chiềng Hoa commune has implemented emulation movements and campaigns in many rich and diverse forms. Through these efforts, it has attracted women in remote and mountainous villages to participate in the organization, contributing to building a strong women's association.

Women's association officials in Chiềng Hoa commune are encouraging female members to join the association.

The Women's Union of Chiềng Hoa commune has 35 village women's branches with 2,557 members. Of these, 21 branches are located in highland villages and 14 are in areas along the Đà River. The Women's Union of the commune has implemented emulation movements and campaigns linked to the local economic , cultural, and social development tasks. At the same time, it has focused on strengthening the team of cadres with sufficient qualities, capabilities, and dedication to lead women's movements at the community level; and emphasized training to improve the quality of the union's cadres. Over the past five years, 84 union cadres and branch leaders throughout the commune have participated in specialized training courses on union work.

Ms. Giang Thi Thanh, Chairwoman of the Women's Union of the commune, said: "All the women in the commune are ethnic minorities, and they are all hardworking and resilient. However, due to limited education and the influence of customs and traditions, the percentage of members participating in the Women's Union is still not high. To help women understand the benefits and significance of the Women's Union, the commune's Women's Union has implemented activities to care for the lives of its members and women. We guide the branches to regularly review the living conditions of women, the number of women present in the area, women working far away, and the number of women who have not yet participated in the Union's activities, in order to understand their thoughts and aspirations and encourage them to join the Union."

Thanks to their efforts to overcome difficulties, during the period 2021-2025, the women's associations in the commune have recruited 254 new members; the rate of women joining the association reached 75% per year. Among them are young members and intellectuals. Notably, many women of religious faith in the villages of Din Lanh and Han Ca Thenh have actively participated in the association's activities and movements.

In implementing the economic development emulation movement, the Women's Union actively propagated and encouraged members to introduce new crop varieties into production, increasing economic value. At the same time, it received entrusted capital from the Social Policy Bank in Muong La area, providing loans to 422 member families with a total outstanding balance of 17.1 billion VND. In addition, the Union coordinated information dissemination to women members, encouraging them to participate in job fairs and employment opportunities organized in the commune to find jobs and opportunities for overseas employment. Currently, the commune has over 200 female workers employed in industrial zones outside the province, earning between 7 and 9 million VND per person per month.

Women in Chiềng Hoa commune raise livestock in enclosed pens.

Through various movements and campaigns, the Association maintains the "5 No's and 3 Cleanliness" family model, linked to the implementation of the new rural development program. Annually, over 50% of member households meet the "5 No's and 3 Cleanliness" criteria. One model "3 Cleanliness" is maintained in Mao village; 15 women-managed roads are maintained, and one new "Women-Managed Road Section" is built in Hat Lay village. Since the beginning of the year, the branches have organized environmental cleanup activities with nearly 300 women participating. In addition, the Association coordinates direct and integrated propaganda to members and their families to prevent violations of population policies and domestic violence; and disseminates legal education to raise awareness among members.

Responding to the "5 No's and 3 Cleanliness" campaign, the Women's Association of Mao village has actively propagated and mobilized its members to participate in building the "3 Cleanliness Village" model (clean house, clean kitchen, clean alley). Ms. Lau Thi Hoa, head of the Women's Association of Mao village, said: "The association has 31 members. We regularly propagate and mobilize women members to develop the habit of keeping their houses tidy and clean, and to periodically clean the village roads and alleys to improve the living environment for their families. Through this, we effectively promote the role of women in environmental protection."

In caring for the lives of its female members, the Women's Union of the commune organized visits and provided support to 24 members affected by natural disasters and fires; contributed 2,200 man-hours of labor for emergency house relocation and the commencement of new house construction. From the supported resources, 1,040 fuel-efficient cooking stoves and 1,010 mini water filters were distributed, contributing to improving the quality of life for members' families. In addition, implementing the support package for ethnic minority women to give birth safely and care for children's health, the Union has propagated and encouraged women in the commune to give birth at medical facilities to benefit from the government-funded policy supporting safe childbirth for mothers.

Despite the achievements, women's association work and movements in Chieng Hoa commune remain a challenging journey. Along with the efforts of the Chieng Hoa Commune Women's Union and its branches, greater involvement from all levels, sectors, organizations, and localities is needed to support women members in improving their literacy through literacy classes; providing capital, livestock, and transferring advanced production techniques to help women escape poverty. It is also crucial to continue effectively implementing programs to disseminate legal information, raise awareness about gender, gender equality, prevention of domestic violence, and the avoidance of marriage and child marriage between close relatives. This will help women change their perceptions and gradually build a progressive, civilized, confident, and self-respecting community in this disadvantaged area in the new era.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/nong-thon-moi/phat-trien-phong-trao-phu-nu-o-vung-kho-khan-SHfdlOGDR.html