The Municipal Women's Union of Bien Hoa: Expanding the Union's members' network to monasteries and orders.

However, neither nuns nor monks have had the opportunity to join in Women's Union projects. Being aware of the situation, the Municipal Women's Union of Bien Hoa has worked out an action plan to mobilize religious women in the locality. Under the guidance of the Municipal Union in coordination with the women cadres of the Buu Hoa Ward, meetings with the master monks of the two monasteries have resulted in consent for participation by nuns in the Women’s Unions’ charitable projects in Buu Hoa. The two monasteries have formed 2 women's groups with a total of 40 members. Master Monk Thich Nu Hue Giac from Quan Am Monastery said: "The participation of nuns in women's groups will make them more attentive to the human world besides being responsible for Buddhism. This is the aspiration of Buddha as well as of the master monks." Through Buddhist members, the Women’s Union has attracted the participation of other monks from both inside and outside Bien Hoa City.

In addition to this, Bien Hoa Women's Union is working to include Catholic women in Women’s Union charitable projects. The Executive Committee of Bien Hoa Women's Union has actively coordinated with the Municipal Committee for Public Relations and female monks who have close relations with the local women's activities to define an implementation plan. Therefore, the establishment of the women's groups and the expansion of the members' network to monasteries and orders have attracted the enthusiastic participation and support of the female monks and nuns. Half year after having launched the plan, these religious women groups have added 50 new members to the Women’s Union. This successful collaboration can be seen a model for other locations interested in extending collaboration to religious women groups to benefit their social development projects.