Actively care for the lives of women and children

(VHXH) Implementing gender equality and solving urgent problems for women and children is an important task to build a fair and developed society. The Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) is chairing Project 8 "Implementing gender equality and solving urgent problems for women and children". In Son La province, the project's activities have been and are being directed by the provincial Women's Union, contributing to supporting the care of the material and spiritual lives of women and children.

Ethnic minority women participate in social activities.

The objective of Project 8 is to raise awareness, change prejudices, care for material and spiritual life, protect and care for women and children, achieve gender equality goals and focus on effectively solving some urgent problems of women and children in extremely difficult areas. In Son La, the Project is implemented in 1,449 villages in communes in region III and extremely difficult villages in communes in region II and region I of 11/11 districts in the province. For the Project to be implemented effectively, the Association has established an executive board, a support team; developed a project implementation plan and inspected and supervised the project. Regularly coordinate with the Ethnic Committee and related departments and branches to remove difficulties and obstacles during the implementation process. Organize training for association officials at all levels and village officials in the area to implement the project's contents; organize communication events, introduce and mobilize about the project.

The Provincial Women's Union has directed the implementation of 4 activities and 11 core targets of the project. Focus on propaganda and mobilization to contribute to eliminating gender prejudices and stereotypes in families and communities, harmful cultural practices; build and replicate models of changing "thinking and doing" to enhance women's economic power, promote gender equality and solve urgent problems of women and children. At the same time, monitor and criticize, support women to participate in leadership in the political system; equip knowledge about gender equality, skills to implement gender mainstreaming for officials in the political system, village chiefs, religious dignitaries and prestigious people in the community.

To date, the province has established 226 community communication teams, with 1,967 members; of which, over 60% of members are men; 23 change leader clubs, with 299 ethnic minority girls directly participating in operating the model; 29 trusted address models, with 304 members participating in the management board. The associations at all levels have organized 8 conferences, training courses, and competitions on "Learning about the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention"; 150 community communication sessions; 23 policy dialogue conferences at the commune and village levels, with 2,718 participants...

Currently, the whole province has 4,900 ethnic minority children having access to information, nearly 200 female ethnic minority cadres have been trained to improve their knowledge and skills; over 7,000 pregnant women in the communes implementing the project have been propagandized and mobilized to give birth at medical facilities; 478 mothers have benefited from the safe childbirth support package, 354 mothers have benefited from the postnatal home care support package...

In the coming time, the provincial women's unions at all levels will strive to establish 190 more community communication teams; 36 trusted addresses; 71 change leaders clubs; organize 168 policy dialogue conferences at commune and village level; provide training on monitoring and evaluation of gender equality, gender mainstreaming, and capacity building for ethnic minority female cadres participating in leadership in the political system and union cadres at all levels. With many practical models, the project has been contributing to improving the quality of life for women and girls.

Through the implementation and deployment of the project, it can be seen that the activities of Project 8 have basically followed the requirements of the Program's content orientation, being both comprehensive and specific, practical, and suitable to the actual situation in the locality. The models and activities of the project have been welcomed and supported by the people and highly appreciated by local Party committees and authorities, contributing to raising awareness, changing thinking and working methods, enhancing economic power, eliminating gender prejudices and stereotypes, creating opportunities for women and girls to affirm their roles in the family and participate in building and developing the community. To continue effectively implementing the contents and targets of Project 8 in 2024, the Women's Union at all levels in the province will focus on promoting communication activities, mobilizing to change "thinking and working methods" to eliminate gender prejudices and stereotypes in the family and community on direct and indirect communication channels; Develop radio, television, and broadcasting programs on loudspeaker systems in common and ethnic languages; organize communication campaigns to eliminate gender prejudice and stereotypes, build a safe living environment for women and children; organize competitions/festivals to share experiences on creative and effective models that contribute to eliminating gender prejudice, domestic violence, and trafficking of women and children; focus on capacity building for female ethnic minority cadres;...

This is the first time that the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas has a separate component project on promoting gender equality. This project is extremely important in raising awareness, changing prejudices, caring for material and spiritual life, protecting and caring for women and children, and effectively implementing the goal of gender equality.

Nguyen Hanh

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