From old practices to new ways of doing things

Project 8 is a crucial component of the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021-2030, aiming at the core objective of changing the mindset, awareness, and practices of the people, especially women and children.

Ngan Son commune is actively communicating to change mindsets and ways of doing things.

In practice, outdated customs such as child marriage, consanguineous marriage, and the mentality of dependence and reliance, along with fragmented production methods, still persist in some areas, hindering sustainable development. Therefore, "changing mindsets and practices" is identified as the foundation for long-term development solutions in ethnic minority areas.

In recent years, Ban Ca village, Nghia Ta commune, has witnessed positive changes in the mindset and practices of the Dao ethnic minority people.

From being heavily influenced by outdated customs, people's awareness has now changed significantly thanks to the persistent involvement of local authorities, mass organizations, and especially the Women's Union at all levels through gender equality communication activities of Project 8.

The biggest difference of Project 8 is its people-centered approach, considering awareness-raising as a key element. Through community communication models, group activities, women's clubs, village self-governance groups, etc., messages about gender equality, reproductive health care, child education , and the elimination of outdated customs are conveyed in a relatable and easily understandable way.

Within the framework of Project 8, more than 100 "Leaders of Change" clubs have been established in mountainous areas, attracting the active participation of children and young people. Through regular meetings, the clubs promote communication on gender equality, prevention of domestic violence, child marriage, and consanguineous marriage, while also equipping members with legal knowledge and life skills.

Project 8 not only focuses on raising awareness but also provides practical support to help women enhance their economic self-reliance through vocational training, business skills, financial management, startup support, and access to preferential loans.

In addition, the Provincial Women's Union effectively implemented government projects, notably the Project to Support Women's Entrepreneurship in the period 2017-2025, with 150 ideas participating in the Women's Entrepreneurship Day competition, training for 550 delegates; and supporting the establishment of 57 new cooperatives, bringing the total to 83 cooperatives, thereby contributing to enhancing women's economic empowerment and reducing the poverty rate by an average of 1.41% per year.

One of the overarching focuses of Project 8 is addressing pressing issues for women and children through the development of "safe homes" and "trusted addresses" models, and the organization of training in parenting skills, healthcare, and abuse prevention.

Integrating life skills education and sex education, tailored to local cultures, has helped ethnic minority children enhance their self-protection abilities and confidence in their studies and lives.

After its implementation, Project 8 has yielded many tangible results: the rate of child marriage in many villages has decreased, poor women have received effective livelihood support, and community solidarity has been strengthened. More importantly, people's awareness has gradually shifted from waiting for support to proactively striving for improvement, and from working out of habit to working according to a plan.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202512/tu-tap-quan-cu-den-cach-lam-moi-7731f52/