The Center for women and development promotes the implementation of project 8 aimed at disadvantaged women

These are two of the key activities that the Center for Women and Development is entrusted by the Vietnam Women's Union to implement.

Attending the opening ceremony of the fair were comrades: Nguyen Thi Minh Huong, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Women's Union; Duong Thi Ngoc Linh, Member of the Presidium of the Vietnam Women's Union, Director of the Center for Women and Development; Lo Thi Thu Thuy, Member of the Presidium, Head of the Ethnic and Religious Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union; Duong Van Tien, Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial People's Committee; Mai Thi Thuy Nga, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; leaders of departments, branches, localities, and grassroots of the Vietnam Women's Union; leaders of provinces, cities, districts and VWU’s members in Thai Nguyen and nearby areas.

The fair gathered 60 booths of more than 100 businesses from Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh ... and nearby areas, especially ethnic minorities and mountainous areas. The fair was organized to introduce, promote, and honor OCOP products, typical handicraft products, and some specialties of the province to people inside and outside the province; contribute to supporting and promoting products of the ethnic women, thereby encouraging them to boldly participate in economic development and sustainable poverty reduction. The fair attracted the attention of a large number of local people with rich and diverse products, imbued with the identity of ethnic minorities in Thai Nguyen in particular and the Northeast midlands and mountainous in general.

Mrs. Duong Thi Ngoc Linh, Director of the Women's and Development Center visited the booth of Mrs. Ly Thi Chien at the fair

Travelling from Dinh Hoa district to Song Cong city, Thai Nguyen to display products at the fair, Mrs. Ly Thi Chien, an owner of Noọng homestay excitedly introduced the specialties of Tay ethnic people to visitors. As a person who is passionate about ethnic culture and cuisine, she has established the Noọng Homestay cooperative model with the desire to preserve Tay culture and introduce the unique features of Tay customs and cuisine to visitors. The products she brought to the fair all have unique characteristics of the Tay ethnic group such as five-colour sticky rice, bamboo tube-cooked rice, and dried bamboo shoots... She said the main purpose when coming to the fair is to exchange, connect and promote her homestay model. On the opening morning of the fair, many customers were interested and asked for the contact number of her homestay. For her, it was an opportunity that did not come easily and was a success that exceeded her expectations.

Social workers of the CWD directly shared and consulted at mobile consultation booths for women attending the workshop

In addition to the fair, CWD organized a workshop on connecting livelihood support networks for disadvantaged women and women at high risk of being trafficked and returned with two topics: An overview of the situation and activities to support trafficked women, repatriated migration and Connecting livelihood support networks for vulnerable and women at a high risk of being trafficked in 02 days 21st to 22nd October 2022. Mrs. Lo Thi Thu Thuy shared about the promotion of gender equity and some urgent issues for women in ethnic minority and mountainous areas through the models and activities of Project 8 under the National Target Program on Ethnic Minority and Mountainous areas at the Workshop. Representatives of agencies and organizations presented the situation of human trafficking in Vietnam and push-pull factors; Local support and coordination in supporting trafficking victims and vulnerable migrants; introducing Peace House activities in support of disadvantaged children and women; and sharing models and opportunities for cooperation in supporting women to develop their livelihoods.

Mrs. Lo Thi Thu Thuy shared about the promotion of gender equity and some urgent issues for women in ethnic minority and mountainous areas through the models and activities of Project 8 under the National Target Program on Ethnic Minority and Mountainous areas at the Workshop

At the same time, the workshop took place a discussion session of representatives of the Vietnam Women's Union at all levels, local departments, and disadvantaged women's groups about the gap in supporting trafficked and returned women and solutions to strengthen communication activities and coordination mechanisms. The discussion took place with many ideas and suggestions for highly effective support activities, including:

- Strengthen communication activities in the form of seminars and training to localities so that women have the opportunity to access support services

- Develop cooperation programs and models, create opportunities to support livelihoods for local women

- Develop an interdisciplinary coordination mechanism to support women who are victims returning from human trafficking/vulnerable migrant groups to help them reintegrate safely and sustainably.

Participants of the workshop, representatives of international organizations, and nearly 50 women members and vulnerable women of Thai Nguyen province actively discussed the coordination mechanism and the establishment of a livelihood support network for vulnerable women, including women trafficked and returned

This was a practical and effective activity of the Center for Women and Development in implementing activities under Project 8 and celebrating the 92nd anniversary of the Vietnam Women's Union, helping women in ethnic minorities and mountainous areas to get closer to national target programs, and having more information on human trafficking, unsafe migration and especially networking to develop and consume products for women.

In the coming time, the Center for Women and Development will continue to maintain and expand the fair's activities, build the coordination mechanism, and contribute to establishing a livelihood support network for women in ethnic minorities and mountainous areas, including vulnerable women who are trafficked and returned.