In order to improve the lives of women and children in ethnic minority areas, for the first time, in the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, there is a separate component project on promoting gender equality.

The implementation of Project 8 aims to achieve the goal of gender equality and solve urgent problems for women and children in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, raising awareness of gender equality for women and children. 

The project aims to raise awareness, change prejudices, take care of material and spiritual life, protect and care for women and children, realize the goal of gender equality and focus on effectively solving urgent issues of women and children in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2021 - 2030.

This is the first time, in the National Target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, there is a separate project on promoting gender equality.

Lao Cai focuses on improving operations of "Community Communications Team" model

On the afternoon of April 5, the Women's Union of Lao Cai Province held a conference to deploy project 8 "Implementing gender equality and solving urgent problems for women and children" under the Target Program for ethnic minority and mountainous areas 2023.

Last year, the project's activities were implemented closely to the orientation requirements of the Central Vietnam Women's Union, which were  comprehensive, specific, practical, and consistent with the actual situation of Lao Cai province. The models and activities implemented in Lao Cai achieved positive results and were well received by members of local women's unions and local people.

Notably, for content 1 "Propaganda and advocacy activities to change thinking and ways of doing things, contributing to eliminating prejudices and gender stereotypes in the family and community, harmful cultural practices and a number of urgent social issues for women and children", women's unions at all levels have established 324 community communication groups and organized 9 training classes to guide the establishment and operation of 852 members of community communication groups. 

For content 2 "Building and replicating models to change thinking and working methods, enhancing economic empowerment for women; promoting gender equality and solving urgent problems of women and children", women's unions at all levels have given assistance to 7 groups, livelihood groups, cooperative groups, and cooperatives owned by women.

For content 3 "Ensuring the voice and substantive participation of women and children in community socio-economic development activities, monitoring and criticism; supporting women to participate in leadership in the political system", the Lao Cai Women's Union organized 4 training classes to guide the establishment and operation of the project model and establish 63 leadership for change clubs.

In 2023, Project 8 will continue to be implemented to raise awareness, support the care of material and spiritual life, protect and care for women and children, contributing to achieving the goal of gender equality and solve urgent problems for women and children in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

In particular, it will focus on improving the quality of activities of the "Community Communications Team" model; Building communication programs on mass media channels and organize direct communication in the community, communication through mobile exhibitions; Assisting livelihood groups, cooperative groups, and women-owned cooperatives while developing plans and implementing to consolidate and improve the quality of the "Trusted Address" model that has been established and examined; Organizing policy dialogues with appropriate and practical dialogue content to solve current problems, pressing issues, and difficulties of women in communes or clusters of villages, hamlets, etc.

Cao Bang organizes 306 policy dialogues at commune and village cluster levels

Currently, Cao Bang province is promoting the implementation of Project 8 "Implementing gender equality and solving urgent problems for women and children".

The project implementation area is in extremely difficult hamlets in communes of regions III, II, I according to Decision No. 612/QD-UBDT dated September 16, 2021 and amending and supplementing decisions (if any), safe communes, border communes. Specifically, there are 28 hamlets belonging to 14 communes of Region I, 19 hamlets belonging to 6 communes of Region II, 949 hamlets belonging to 126 communes of Region III, including 118 border hamlets belonging to 40 border communes, 130 hamlets belonging to 26 safe communes.

During the implementation of Project 8, the province strives to achieve the following targets: Establishing 125 children's change leader clubs, improving capacity and supporting activities of these clubs; Organizing 306 policy dialogues at commune and village levels; Organizing training courses to improve capacity for female ethnic minority officials to participate in leadership in the political system; 42 training sessions on monitoring and evaluating gender equality for commune and village officials; 33 training sessions on gender integration for district and commune officials; 115 training sessions on gender integration for village officials; Coordinating to organize training courses to improve capacity on gender action, gender integration in groups, and clubs on communication for behavior change, economic empowerment for women, community trust address model, change leaders clubs...

Project 8 phase 1 of the Central Presidium of the Vietnam Women's Union implemented with 4 contents

In order to effectively implement Project 8, last year, the Presidium of the Central Vietnam Women's Union issued a direction plan.

According to the Plan, a series of intervention models and activities of Project 8 will be deployed simultaneously in a number of representative localities and regions nationwide, thereby serving as a basis for evaluating and drawing experience for the implementation and management of Project 8 and spreading and replicating the model nationwide.

Accordingly, there are 8 provinces representing the regions (Northern, Central, Central Highlands, Southwest, Southeast) that will deploy the Direction Plan, including: Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Cao Bang, Lai Chau, Quang Binh, Gia Lai, Binh Phuoc, and Soc Trang. In each province, a suitable commune will be selected to fully implement the project models from 2022 to 2025.

Models and guiding activities will closely follow the content and requirements of the Program according to Decision No. 1719/QD-TTg dated October 14, 2021 of the Prime Minister, guiding documents and implementation plans of Project 8, phase 1 of the Central Presidium of the Vietnam Women's Union and associated with the key tasks of the Resolution of the 13th National Women's Congress. Specifically, it will be implemented according to 4 contents:

Firstly, establish and maintain the Project's models: Establishing and operating community communications groups; Establishing new/or consolidating to improve the quality and operation of community trust addresses; Consolidating and improving the quality of existing models/or establishing new and maintaining the village loan savings group model; Establishing and operating the Leaders of Change Club at school (middle school level) and in the community.

Secondly, activities to support women's economic empowerment: Supporting for livelihood development and community integration for victims of human trafficking; Supporting the application of science and technology to enhance economic empowerment of ethnic minority women in production and connecting markets for agricultural products.

Thirdly, capacity building activities for officials in the political system at all levels in the province: Capacity building for female ethnic minority officials to participate in leadership positions in the political system; Developing capacity to implement gender equality for officials at all levels in the political system;

Fourthly, deploy activities to ensure the voice and role of women in local socio-economic issues.

In addition, models and activities need to be implemented synchronously, ensuring progress, efficiency, practicality and suitability to the local actual situation; relevant agencies and units coordinate closely during the implementation process.

Gia Lai

In order to promote the care of ethnic minority women and children, many localities in Gia Lai province are simultaneously implementing Project 8 "Implementing gender equality and solving urgent problems for women and children in the ethnic minority areas" under the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2021 - 2030, phase I from 2021 - 2025.

Ms. Ro Cham H'Hong, Chairwoman of Gia Lai Provincial Women's Union (Head of Project 8 Executive Committee) said: As the presiding agency, the Provincial Women's Union has actively and proactively built and promptly issued documents directing and guiding project implementation; Establishing the Provincial Project Steering Committee to direct the implementation of the Project; Developing periodical plans and annual plans for departments, branches and localities; Grasping the situation and promptly supporting the Women's Union of districts and towns in advising on planning and organizing project implementation.

Specifically, Project 8 will be implemented in 15 districts and towns of the province, focusing on 4 contents: Propaganda and advocacy to change "thoughts and ways of doing" to contribute to eliminating negative gender stereotypes and prejudices in the family and community, harmful cultural practices and a number of pressing social issues for women and children; Building and replicating models of economic empowerment for women; ensuring the voice and substantive participation of women and children in the community's socio-economic development activities; Support women to participate in leadership in the political system; Equipping knowledge about gender equality and skills to implement gender integration for officials in the political system, village elders, village heads, religious dignitaries and reputable people in the community in 42 communes and 192 villages in especially difficult circumstances.

In particular, the Central Vietnam Women's Union and the Provincial Women's Union chose 5 locations to implement Project 8 in Ia Pa, Mang Yang, Dak Doa, Krong Pa and Phu Thien districts. Community communications teams, local community trusted address will be established in these locations to support poor women and poor children in localities to establish village savings and loan groups and Leaders of Change Clubs.

Along with that, at the local and district levels, the Provincial Women's Union has assigned the District Women's Unions to preside and advise on the implementation of Project 8. To date, 15/15 ditricts and towns have been allocated operating funds for 2022 and 7/15 districts have issued project implementation plans.

Hang Ngan - Ta Ngoc Huy Linh - Ngo Thanh Hung