Create a forum to inspire entrepreneurial spirit among women

This is the sharing of Ms. Pham Thi Huong, President of the Women's Union of Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh province, about the secret to effectively and successfully implementing the Project "Supporting women to start a business" in the district in recent times.

Reporter: Ky Anh District (Ha Tinh) is one of the localities that has implemented the "Project to support women in starting a business" in rural areas early, effectively and successfully in recent times. So, could you please tell us what is special about the implementation of this Project at the Women's Union of your district?

Ms. Pham Thi Huong: In recent times, the Women's Union of Ky Anh district has focused on seriously and effectively implementing the "Project to support women in starting a business" to the grassroots level and members, in many flexible and diverse forms. Thereby, the project has attracted a large number of members to participate and respond.

During the implementation process, the Women's Union of our district paid great attention to propaganda work. For example, the Union has passed the activities of the Branches, groups, clubs and propagated on mass media, social networks, zalo, Facebook... about the Party's policies and guidelines and the State's legal policies on start-ups and business development, in order to create confidence and encourage members to boldly develop the economy.

The District Women's Union actively supports production establishments to participate in fairs and festivals to introduce, promote and consume local products.

At the same time, the Association promotes typical examples of women starting businesses, developing the economy, promoting and introducing typical models led by women in the locality. The District Women's Union also coordinates with the Provincial Women's Union and specialized agencies to organize training courses to improve the capacity of enterprises, cooperatives, cooperatives, and economic models led by women on applying technology to production and business, building product brands, business laws, commercial civilization, food safety and hygiene, circular economy, etc.

We also increase support for members and establishments with ideas to participate in the "Women's Entrepreneurship" Contest to realize their startup and business ideas. Support establishments to participate in fairs and festivals to introduce, promote and consume local products. Organize competitions and forums for female business owners and economic models to exchange and share experiences, and arouse the entrepreneurial spirit among women.

PV: How have the successes of the "Project to support women in starting a business" in recent times impacted the local economy in general, as well as female business owners and female owners of local production facilities, madam?

Ms. Pham Thi Huong: In line with the start-up movement, the Women's Union at all levels of Ky Anh district always accompanies, supports and encourages women of all backgrounds, ages and professions, especially women in difficult circumstances, ethnic minority women and women with disabilities to rise up and confidently participate in the national start-up wave, enriching their families, their hometowns and their country, creating jobs for local workers, promoting gender equality and enhancing the role and position of women in society.

All raw materials purchased for products in Ky Anh district are contracted with representatives of women's union members.

Accordingly, many private economic models owned by women, collective economies such as Cooperative Groups (THT), Cooperatives (HTX) operate effectively, women are interested in each process of building brands, trademarks, clean value chains, including typical models such as: The medicinal herb processing model of Dung Nguyen facility (Ky Thu commune) with products such as: Cereal sprout tea achieving 3-star OCOP, essential oil for steaming leaves achieving 3-star OCOP,.... The scale of the production facility is 400 m2 (synchronous investment in machinery and equipment, such as: Cold dryer, automatic bottling machine, vacuum machine,...). Revenue reached 3,400 million VND. The output of raw materials linked to production and purchase with households is 6 tons of agricultural products and medicinal herbs such as lemongrass, basil, mugwort, perilla, or incense, mint, eucalyptus, kumquat, honey, jasmine buds, beans of all kinds,...

All raw materials purchased in the district are contracted with representatives of women's union members, people in villages, communes or through the Women's Union of communes for periodic purchasing. The model creates regular jobs for 5-7 workers, with an average income of 5.5 million VND/person/month.

Up to now, the whole Ky Anh district has 19 products meeting OCOP standards , of which 17 products have achieved 3-star OCOP, 2 products have achieved 4-star OCOP. Of these, 12 models are owned by women. Thanks to that, many families have escaped poverty, become rich, and stabilized their lives. Up to now, the average income per capita has reached 48.90 million VND/person/year (an increase of 33.9 million VND/person/year compared to 2011); the rate of multidimensional poor households is 2.81%, and the rate of near-poor households is 4.76%.

Up to now, the whole Ky Anh district has 19 products meeting OCOP standards, of which 17 products have achieved 3-star OCOP and 2 products have achieved 4-star OCOP.

After 7 years of implementing the Project, the Women's Unions at all levels in Ky Anh district have received hundreds of start-up/business ideas from women registered for the competition; selected, reviewed, and classified over 30 feasible ideas to submit and win high prizes in provincial and central level competitions. Many ideas demonstrate creativity and innovation in the production and trading of clean, safe, and environmentally friendly products... with the potential to bring benefits to women and the community. Through this, it helps women farmers who are only familiar with farming, housework, or small business become real economic workers and take control of their lives.

PV: Thanks to your efforts, you have achieved the success you have today. So, in the process of implementing the Project to support women starting businesses in the locality, did the Women's Union of Ky Anh district encounter any difficulties, madam?

Ms. Pham Thi Huong: In the process of implementing the Project, the awareness of some cadres, members and women about the importance of supporting women to start a business is still limited. In particular, people are still not bold enough to connect and cooperate with each other, creating a sustainable collective economic model to create a safe and stable raw material area in the market. This leads to the unstable output market for some agricultural products, and the connection to product consumption still faces many difficulties.

Besides, the resources of the Association are still limited, mainly propaganda, mobilization, loan support, access to science and technology... Therefore, compared to reality, it still does not meet the needs of members and women.

Along with that, in some places, women members have not been bold enough to build and develop economic models or are still dependent on their families. Some women lack knowledge and skills in production and business organization, mainly focusing on small-scale, household-based, fragmented models; have not invested in modern technology and techniques in production...

PV: To overcome difficulties and expand the collective economic model, start-up businesses in the locality to be stable and long-term as desired , in your opinion, what plans does the District Women's Union have in the coming time?

Ms. Pham Thi Huong: In the coming time, to more effectively implement the "Project to support women in starting a business" , the Women's Union of Ky Anh district will focus on implementing the following specific tasks:

Coordinate with all levels and sectors to promote propaganda, provide information, and provide advice to support women in developing production and trading of products and services to meet market demands; mobilize women to actively participate in economic models according to value chains, focusing on production and consumption of safe products.

The District Women's Union actively supports women so that economic models, enterprises, cooperatives, and groups owned by women have the opportunity to access policies of Ha Tinh province.

Coordinate with specialized agencies to review and promptly remove difficulties and obstacles, actively support women so that economic models, enterprises, cooperatives, and cooperative groups led by women can access policies of Ha Tinh province.

Improve productivity and operational efficiency of women-owned enterprises, cooperatives and cooperative groups to develop sustainably and with quality. From there, help women form a more "open", dynamic and creative economic development mindset in the process of getting rich , affirming their role and position in the family, and contributing more to society.

Mobilizing resources, organizing training courses to convey policies, transfer science and technology, and provide vocational training for women. Coordinating to expand vocational training links, consulting, and introducing jobs according to the needs of the labor market. In addition, the Association continues to equip women with knowledge of business administration, skills in searching and accessing markets, applying digital technology to production and business; skills to protect members' rights when participating in local economic value chains.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/ha-tinh-tao-dien-dan-khoi-day-tinh-than-khoi-nghiep-trong-cac-tang-lop-phu-nu-20240611120821549.htm