Q: Could you share more about the outstanding results of women’s movements during the past tenure?
A: Over the past five years, in response to emulation movements of the country and the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the movement of “Women actively studying, working creatively and building happy families”, which was launched by the 12th National Women’s Congress, women from all strata have contributed to uphold their good traditions and qualities, as well as the spirit of solidarity, creativity and dynamism, contributing to greater achievements in all aspects of social life. There are five highlights of women’s movements during the past tenure:
Firstly, women of all classes have made efforts to overcome all difficulties, promote creativity, boldly apply science and technology and actively participate in economic development, significantly contributing to all industries and aspects. Women are also an important force in carrying out the national target programme on new-style rural area building and sustainable poverty reduction and the national start-up programme, while making great contributions to affirming the quality and competitiveness of Vietnamese products in the international market.
Secondly, women have been increasingly aware of their responsibilities and citizenship rights, actively participated in Party and political system building, as well as better promote their role to join the social supervision and criticism and propose policies and laws.
Thanks to the attention from the Party committees and authorities at all levels, and their own efforts, the contingent of female cadres has been developed, as the percentage of women participating in Party committees, National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels, has increased compared to the previous tenure.
Thirdly, women have continued to uphold their good tradition, greatly performing their motherhood role of first teacher of the people. They are the spiritual fulcrum to bond love and share the responsibility of family building. With their love and responsibility, women have passed on cultural values in their families and among the community, while playing an important role in preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the nation.
Fourthly, amidst severe natural disasters and the complicated COVID-19 pandemic, with their love and compassion, women have promoted the spirit of mutual affection, solidarity and responsibility, to actively join the implementation of fulfilling the dual goals of fighting against the pandemic and economic development.
Fifthly, in the process of comprehensive integration of the country, women in the armed forces and foreign affairs have continued to uphold patriotism, contributing to firmly safeguarding the national sovereignty and security and affirming Vietnam’s fortune, position and prestige, as an active and responsible member in the international community.
The above results have been shown through impressive numbers, such as more than 600 policies/projects/programmes in many fields related to women by the unions at all levels, nearly 17,000 projects were promoted for building new-style rural areas, the support for the establishment of nearly 800 cooperatives, and over 480 billion VND, in support of the union’s cadres, members, women and people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q: Despite the complicated development of the pandemic, the Women’s Unions at all levels, have quickly adapted and renovated their contents and modes of operation. Could you share more about women’s spirit of overcoming all difficulties?
A: During the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of union’s members and women have always been ready to join the fiercest fronts, uphold the resilience to turn danger into opportunity, and boosted thousands of practical and effective initiatives and models, such as “millions of gifts to share love”, “for women’s smile”, “Resilient Vietnam”, “Godmother” and “Zero-dong market”. In addition to mobilising human resources and wealth for the fight against the pandemic and natural disasters, women have spread human values and fostered the compassion and the tradition of solidarity of Vietnam.
During 2020 – 2021, the Union mobilised over 150 billion VND to support women and children to stabilise their lives. The “Godmother” is one of the deeply humane programmes launched by the Vietnam Women’s Union, to help orphans who were living in extremely difficult circumstances due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the unions at all levels have mobilised, connected and supported 1,458 orphans, due to COVID-19 in the provinces.
During the pandemic, I was really touched by the images of frontline female nurses and doctors who had to temporarily put aside their individual happiness, to enter the epidemic centre and successfully complete their tasks for many months.
I was also extremely impressed with the images of women across the country, willing to give up their meals and sleep, to present gifts to the poor; the hearts of the unions’ members who join the community COVID-19 prevention and control; and the flights and buses carrying female workers, pregnant women and children from epidemic-hit areas to their hometowns. Among millions of those women, many people were infected by the epidemic and died.
Q: What are the key tasks and breakthroughs for the next tenure, to further promote the role of women in the country’s development?
A: The Vietnam Women’s Union identified two breakthroughs to boost the implementation of the tasks for the next five years: the innovation of the operation method, with the focus on the application of information and technology, and the strong development of the union’s grassroots.
In addition, three tasks in accordance with the women’s movements will be defined.
Firstly, women will receive the support for their comprehensive development, towards building prosperous, happy, progressive and civilised Vietnamese families. It is essential to focus on arousing the will, aspiration, patriotism, national pride and tradition among Vietnamese people, as well as promoting the virtues of “confidence, self-respect, faithfulness and responsibility” in association with learning and following President Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle. The unions at all levels, will call on and support women to improve their knowledge and skills to build happy families and foster the good traditions, as well as proactively and actively prevent and control domestic violence and child abuse.
Secondly, the union’s members will actively participate in Party and political system building, social supervision and criticism, and the realisation of gender equality. The union will focus on key activities including propagandising and mobilising women to implement the Party’s guideline and State’s policies and laws; raising their political awareness, law observance and civic responsibility; improving the quality of social supervision and criticism; and proposing policies related to women, families, children and gender equality.
Thirdly, greater attention will be paid to building the Union stronger with more professional and effective operations and international integration. Accordingly, its network will be developed with more members. The cadres and organisational apparatus of the unions at all levels, will be improved and consolidated. In addition, it is crucial to promote the organisations’ culture and improve the efficiency of the management of specialised agencies and the union, as well as raising the position and expanding the union’s influence in external relations.
The Vietnam Women’s Union expects that the Congress will continue to open a successful tenure and realise the goals until 2035. The Union will affirm its role as a pioneer organisation in action for women and its influence in international and regional arenas, contributing to successfully realising the national development goals.
Thank you very much!
