As of late May 2008, about 181,600 ethnic minority households with nearly 767,000 people in the whole country still suffered hunger. This is announced at a conference held in Hannoi on July 1 on deploying the Government's Decree 60/2008/NÐ-CP.

Industry experts say education, intellect becoming just as important as looks at international beauty pageants – Vietnam should take note.

Vietnam wants to contribute to the full and effective implementation of UN resolutions, including those adopted by the Security Council, aimed at creating “A World Fit for Children”.

Ton Nu Thi Ninh, former Deputy Chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee, who has been well known in Vietnam and the world as the wonderful diplomat, says that she wants to prove that Vietnamese people are not only industrious and skilful, but also very creative.

On March 8th, 1948 the first bulletins credited to a Vietnamese women’s newspaper were circulated in Viet Bac – the holy revolutionary base of Vietnam during the resistance against the French colonialists.

That Vietnam is selected to host the United Nations Day of Vesak and the fifth International Buddhist seminar is a pride of the whole nation, President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Huynh Dam has said.

A senior government official reiterated Vietnam’s policy on freedom of religious beliefs, saying that Buddhism and other religions enjoy equality in development in Vietnam and they have markedly contributed to national development.

Vietnam’s security chief has called for Law on Drug Prevention and Combat revisions and supplements to be considered to provide a legal system able to deal with the realities of combating drugs.

A programme that has established rehabilitation centres, vocational training provision and job generation for former drug addicts in seven provinces and cities has recorded encouraging results after five years of implementation.

Northern mountainous Yen Bai province has got better TV programmes from central station thanks to a project funded by the Spanish government.

The Belgium-based Donxa organisation will finance surgeries for 32 poor disabled children in northern Vinh Phuc province, which is estimated to cost two million VND each.

Making national occupational security and hygiene ( OSH ) programmes for ASEAN countries was the theme of an international symposium opened in Hanoi on May 12 with the host Vietnam setting an example.

With an alarming number of homeless children in Viet Nam, one Vietnamese couple is trying to follow the commandment "love your neighbours as yourself", bringing disadvantaged children into their own home.

Left for dead and mauled by wild animals, little Phung Thien Nhan’s early days were filled with tragedy. But today the two-year-old is enjoying a positive twist to his unhappy fate - and the promise of a new start in life.

Sung A Cau’s one-year-old son was kidnapped by human traffickers in Mu Sang Ward in Lai Chau Province while his wife was visiting relatives.

With fewer women born and more of them marrying foreigners, a lot of men may be left feeling lonely.

Who is the perfect modern woman? A high-powered businessperson or a skilful housewife?

For academics at Memorial University of Newfoundland and in Vietnam health problems are part of larger social issues and require the expertise of social workers

GIPA commitment review meeting was held by GIPA project in Vietnam Women’s Museum in the morning of March 19th, to share experiences and finding solutions to promote effectively GIPA commitments addressed in GIPA National Workshop in August 2007.

Sixty- five -year- old Nguyen Thi Kim Chung’s late son was forced to rely on supportive relatives to buy medicine. As a housewife, Chung has no pension, forcing her to depend on her husband’s meagre salary to cover the daily needs of her five-member family.

The police and border guards will intensify their operations in 2008 to crack down on women and children trafficking acrossing borderlines with China and Cambodia.

If Thuan Thi Tru has her way, Cham-style brocade fabrics will become a fashion statement worldwide.

THANH HOA — Nursing mother Le Thi Nghia burst into tears when food and medicine arrived at the Thach Thanh General Hospital.

The workshop was organized from 29 to 30 August in Hanoi with the participation of core cadres from 17 provincial/municipal Women’s Unions working on the project “Access to Coordinated Credit and Enterprise Development Services.”

To develop the traditional moral standard of “when drinking water, remember its source”, VWU takes great interest in returning war heroes’ favor and has implemented a number of effective activities.

Cam Xuyen District, Ha Tinh Province, is making an all-out effort to stabilise the local population with the co-operation of the whole community.

Many people living in rural areas are flocking to cities, seeking urban opportunities to feed their families and improve the lives of their children.

On 2nd August 2007, with the support of the Bread for the World, Yen Bai provincial Women’s Union together with Nghia Lo Town Women’s Union and Van Chan district Women’s Union organized Contest of “Communicators Prevention against Trafficking in Women and Children”

More and more young teachers are volunteering to go to remote mountainous provinces to teach ethnic minority children in the hope of helping them catch up with the rest of their peers.

According to the Reproductive Health Agency, around 48.7% of deaths of expectant mothers occur at provincial and district level health stations and 27.5% at their homes.

According to the Reproductive Health Agency, around 48.7% of deaths of expectant mothers occur at provincial and district level health stations and 27.5% at their homes.

Healthcare experts point to infections from birth control devices and abortions as the cause

Ms. Hong said she had received a letter from Miss Universe President Paula Mary Shugart two days before, which was only 10 days after the Miss Universe delegation’s trip to the country and much earlier than expected since during her trip, Ms. Shugart said she would give a definite answer within two months.

The MBC channel in the Republic of Korea (RoK) has recently reported that a Vietnamese bride died while seeking to escape from her husband’s house in April.

More than 30 years ago, a teenaged girl in Ha Noi heard a rousing song calling for the US to pull out of Viet Nam. The tune touched off a heart-warming personal journey, Xuan Hong and Khanh Chi report.

"Can you give me a cigarette?" a stylish woman asks her boyfriend at a birthday party.

Retired reporter Hoang Van Sac has just received a national prize for a photograph he took 39 years ago of 12 young female volunteers levelling a bomb crater.

Nearly 48.353 employees have benefited from vocational and professional consultancy; 60.000 employees have been provided contemporary work abroad, 90.382 women have been introduced to jobs, 44.998 of those have stable jobs.

Divorce is on the rise in Vietnam and attitudes are changing.

The Government will retain its key role in investment in health care in the next 10-15 years, particularly for poor people, said Health Minister Tran Thi Trung Chien in an recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency.

The Vietnamese Government on January 29 issued a regulation instructing assistance to trafficked women and children to reintegrate into the community.

On 24th May 2007, the VWU’s Presidium promulgated the Plan No. 39 for disseminating and educating laws for women in 2007.

Three sets of materials, which were discussed at a workshop for inputs and comments to develop communication materials on Gender Equality (G.E) on 24 May, are G.E Communication Handbook, GE Questions and Answers, and folding paper introducing some regulations on GE violation, G.E in the fields of politics, culture, education, family to name a few.

The workshop “GIPA project (Greater involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS) and Service providers” was held recently by Ho Chi Minh City Women’s Union. Attending the workshop were representatives of GIPA Project’s Central Management Board, Ho Chi Minh WU and agencies and organizations working in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention.

To celebrate the X th National Women’s Congress, recently, the Standing Committee of Lai Chau Women’s Union has launched an emulation movement with a range of targets:

This is an activity to enhance awareness on drug and HIV/AIDS communication and prevention, especially awareness of drug prevention by families for a community without drugs addicts for all strata of women and ethnics within the district.

HA NOI — Dao Minh Phuong has devoted her life to helping children affected by disabilities and Agent Orange become fully integrated into society.

Lying under the roof of the calm Dieu Giac Pagoda in the new urban area south of Ho Chi Minh City, Dieu Giac Orphanage is home to over 130 unfortunate children

A report about the consequences of Agent Orange in Vietnam has been screened by American PBS Television.

VietNamNet Bridge - She cried when she heard her name called aloud in the night of Miss Disabled 2006. She was crowned! The enthronement, however, did not cause any surprise for her teachers or friends as she was a beautiful, young woman of versatile talent.

The Prime Minister has asked the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Planning and Investment to push up foreign-related activities in 2007

On 14th May 2007, a Non-refunded Assistance Agreement for the Project on Establishing a Vocational Training Center for women in Quang Binh province was signed by the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam and Quang Binh Women’s Union

Income generation and health improvement of disadvantaged groups (older people, women and ethnic minorities) through promoting intergenerational approaches in 60 communities in Thai Nguyen province

Finishing of the 5-year term (2003-2007), UNAIDS Representative Mme. Nancy Fee has left great impression in Vietnamese friends and colleagues as a very enthusiastic, sincere and hard working woman and is heading to Indonesia to her new post there

This is the comment of many experts at the Conference on passive smoking for women and children to be held by the Research Center (Women Cadres School) and the Public Health Awareness Institute on 17-18 April 2007.

Trafficking in persons – a global concern, which has become ever complicated and increased worldwide.

The Prize “Support to Kova talent development” financed by Kova Paint Company is awarded annually to promote and encourage excellent individuals and collectivities including those in ethnic minorities who have gained achievements in mobilizing women in ethnic minorities and mountainous areas.

In the morning of 19th April 2007, the Launching Ceremony of “Co Tam ngay nay” Fund was taken place at the Labor Cultural House of Ho Chi Minh City.

To implement Resolution of the 14th Bac Ninh province WU Congress, on March 2007, WU Gia Binh Standing Committee directed Dai Ban commune WU to make a survey and establish a Female Youth Club (FYC) to multiple model activities to attract and develop WU membership.

To implement the 5th Central Resolution on “Enhancing operation capacities for grassroots political system” launched by the ninth National Assembly, to base on the targets set by the Resolution of the Eighth Municipal Women’s Congress, and to create an ebullient emulation atmosphere among WU at all levels to welcome the Tenth National Women’s Congress, the Standing Committee of the HoChiMinh Women’s Union has planed to launch a competition festival for the presentation of ideas on “Renovating the contents and methods of VWU's operation”.

In the framework of “Improving the percentage of women candidates in the National Assembly term XII”, from 3-6/4, at Centre of Women and Development, National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam organized a training program for XII National Assembly female candidates.

With the goals of striving to reach 98% female constituency participate in NA’s Deputies Election in 20 May 2007, WU at all levels in Hau Giang province actively organized communication activities, rising awareness of meaning, aims, the degree of importance, rights and duties of citizen to go to vote for the 12th NA’s Deputies.

According to the Fatherland Front, after the second consultative conference and collecting trust of electors living in candidates’ residential places, there are 1,322 candidates (167 candidates at Central level and 1,155 candidates at local level) who have enough criteria to take part in the third consultative conference (estimated to be held on 15 April) from across the country, reaching the surplus ratio of 2.64 times.

In the afternoon 18th April, at La Havana Capital, Mme. Truong Thi Khue, Vice President of the Vietnam Women’s Union conferred VWU’s Medals “For the Advancement of Women in Vietnam” on Mme. Melba Hernandez, Former President of the Cuba - Vietnam Friendship Association (CVFA); Mme. Vilma Espín, President of Federation of the Cuban Women (FMC) and Mme. Yolanda Ferrer, the General Secretary of FMC, President of the Cuba – Vietnam Friendship Association.

Charming in the violet traditional dress, a typical color of Hue

On April 21st, 2007, the Science Council of VWU reviewed and approved 04 thematic studies which were implemented by departments/units of VWU, namely the Department of Ethnic and Religious affaires, the Personnel Dept., the Central School of Women Cadres.

On the occasion of the 60th Anniversary Day of War Invalid and Martyr (27 July 1947 – 27 July 2007), the construction of Vietnam Heroic Mother Statue will start in a 15 ha – land site located at Nui Cam (Cam Mountain) in New Urban Zone Tan Phu , Tam Ky City, Quang Nam. The project is worthy of 55 billion VND and is expected to be completed in 2010

To continue implementing the Emulation Movement of” “Women actively study, creatively work and nurture happy families” of the Vietnam Women’s Union.

Surpassing cultural differences of 56 countries, the International Women’s Club has become a cultural and humanitarian bridge to the disadvantaged in Vietnam.

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Viet Nam on Apr. 27 issued a resolution on women affairs to promote gender equality.

The Miss Sea of Vietnam 2007 final contest took place at Hon Dau international tourist resort in Do Son township in the northern port city of Hai Phong on April 30.

The friendship associations with Vietnam of Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland on April 26 issued a statement to support a call asking the US to show responsibility to Vietnam for their spraying of deadly herbicides during the war in Vietnam.

Venezuela does all it can to assure the success of the biggest congress organized by FDIM - lnternational democratic women federation - on 9th to l2th April, 2007 in Caracas.

To gather efforts to raise the ratio of the women deputy to at least 30% in the 12th Legislature of the National Assembly, implementing the Gender Equality Goal, for the Advancement of Vietnam women.

Consensusly working out an overall and general action plan for 5 years of implementing the Project on International Marriage Supporting, in accordance with the practical conditions of Provincial/Municipal Marriage Supporting Centers was the content of the Orientation workshop on the International Marriage Supporting Project co-organized by the VWU and the Vietnam Women’s Cultural Center (VWCC – Republic of Korea) from 14th to 15th March, 2007 at the Head office of the Central VWU.