Enhancing women's status through participation in local activities

Ethnic minority women in Huong Hoa district increasingly know how to organize family life better - Photo: VTH

Policy dialogue is an activity that encourages ethnic minority women to speak up about existing issues, constraints, social prejudices, gender inequality, illegal acts that harm women and children...

They are encouraged to boldly express their opinions, make recommendations to sectors and authorities at all levels to solve urgent problems for women and children in particular and the community in general, especially problems that are happening in their own homes such as: child marriage, domestic violence, gender inequality, support for household economic development capacity...

To help ethnic minority women boldly participate in family and local issues, the Women's Union at all levels has trained and guided its members and women to raise their awareness and confidence. From that practical need, with the investment of Project 8 "Implementing gender equality and solving urgent problems of women and children", the Provincial Women's Union has equipped the grassroots Women's Union at all levels with knowledge and methods on how to organize forums for ethnic minority women to participate in speaking up.

The Union organized 7 conferences to train skills, provide guidance and prepare for commune-level dialogue in the province and districts: Huong Hoa, Dakrong, Vinh Linh for 284 women cadres at provincial, district and commune levels. The Provincial Women's Union also organized 22 dialogues in communes of Linh Truong, Huong Tan, Huong Son, Huong Linh, Huong Viet, Huong Lap, Tan Lap, Lia, A Doi, Lao Bao town, Tan Long, Thuan, Huc, Xy, Thanh, Huong Phung, Dakrong, Huong Hiep, Ta Rut, Ta Long, Krong Klang town, Vinh Khe with the participation of nearly 2,200 people from ethnic minorities and mountainous areas.

Vice President of the Women's Union of Ta Rut Commune, Dakrong District, Ho Thi Hoa, said that in the past, ethnic minority women were mostly self-conscious, less open-minded and resigned. Now there have been many changes, they participate in community activities, especially those organized by the Women's Union of the commune.

In recent years, at policy dialogues, ethnic minority women have participated and boldly raised their voices, making recommendations to authorities and sectors to resolve existing and pressing issues of local people, especially those that directly affect women and children. In addition, they have also recommended that the State provide more support to develop household economies and build new rural areas, etc.

The Women's Unions of districts benefiting from Project 8 also chaired the organization of 25 policy dialogue conferences with the following contents: "Supporting women in economic development, starting businesses, building new rural areas" and "Early marriage, consanguineous marriage and child protection policies, drugs, and social evils".

The Women's Union of communes in Huong Hoa district such as Tan Hop and Tan Thanh organized a policy dialogue conference on the topic of supporting female members in vocational training, employment and entrepreneurship, policy dialogue, laws on women, gender equality and some issues related to women and children, attracting more than 100 officials, members and women to participate.

Through dialogue activities, it has created conditions for members and local women to express their thoughts and aspirations in socio-economic development, in the prevention of child marriage, incestuous marriage, and programs and policies related to the rights and legitimate interests of women and children in the area.

This is also an opportunity for Party committees, authorities, relevant sectors and Women's Unions at all levels to promptly grasp the difficulties, recommendations and reflections of women and children in ethnic minority areas; on inadequate mechanisms, policies and regimes, and to direct implementation in the coming time.

At the policy dialogues, hundreds of women's opinions focused on policies to support women in starting businesses, credit capital; employment, vocational training; OCOP products; developing collective economic models; connecting markets - introducing products, building new rural areas, preventing child marriage, incestuous marriage, child protection policies...

The opinions, thoughts and aspirations of ethnic minority women are basically discussed, clarified and satisfactorily answered by relevant departments and branches at district level and local authorities. They continue to be studied, consulted and proposed by relevant departments to encourage and motivate cadres, members and women in ethnic minority and mountainous areas to continue to promote traditions, strive to rise up, and affirm the role and position of women in the family and society.

Vo Thai Hoa

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/nang-cao-vi-the-cua-phu-nu-tu-viec-tham-gia-cac-hoat-dong-o-dia-phuong-192827.htm