Over 1 million more women join Viet Nam Women's Union

The figure was reported at the opening session of a conference of the VWU Central Committee in Ha Noi o­n Jan. 3.

The union has encouraged its officials and members to implement the country's poverty reduction target by developing production and business, built new models of economic development for its members to follow, and given support to ethnic minority women to reduce poverty.

The committee has called for promoting diverse activities to support businesswomen, such as proposing proper support policies, including granting investment capital, organizing training courses, forums, and meetings between businesswomen and local leaders, and establishing clubs of women entrepreneurs. To date, 563 clubs of women entrepreneurs at different levels have been founded with nearly 19,500 members, an increase of 260 clubs and 8,400 members over 2004.

The conference will last till Jan. 5. It plans to review the union's activities in 2005, work out an action plan for 2006 and give opinions to the documents of the 10th National Women's Congress and the draft Law o­n Gender Equality.-Enditem.