Seventy-three-year-old Nguyen Thi Mai (not her real name) smiles to hide her deep sadness.
"What can I do?" the 73-year-old woman replies to a question about whether her meagre income is enough to feed her HIV-positive son.

In order to help older people affected by HIV and AIDs and their family members to earn descent and reliable living under the project VIE 011, Hanoi Women’s Union continues piloting the new project supported by Ford Foundation in Vietnam.

On the occasion of celebrating the Liberation Day of the South of Vietnam, April 30, and the International Labor Day, May 1, Vice President of VWU, Mme. Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy, received the delegation of former leaders of VWU at the central and provincial levels who are currently retired in the South of Vietnam during their visit to Hanoi on April 22, 2009 at the head quarter of VWU.

Vietnamese women account for 51% the country’s population and over half of the labor force in Vietnam, 80% of whom are living in the rural areas. Being hardworking and innovative, women in Vietnam have made significant contribution to the national socio-economic development. In the economic field, women participate in most of business sectors: manufacturing. production, trade and services.

In the afternoon of March 31st 2009, a Get-together between representatives of Vietnam Women’s Union and staffs of Cuban Embassy in Vietnam was hold in Hanoi. Attended at the Get-together were Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa - President of VWU , Mr. Fredesman Turo Gonzalez - Ambassador of Cuban Embassy in Vietnam, leaders and officials of some departments of the Central VWU, Cuban Embassy officials, Cuban female cadres and students who are working and studying in Vietnam

On the eve of International Women’s Day (8 March) the United Nations in Viet Nam is calling for concerted efforts to tackle violence against women and girls in Viet Nam. The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, ‘Women and Men: United to End Violence against Women’ is a call to action underpinning a global campaign launched by the UN Secretary-General in February 2008.

- To raise all-sided capacity and knowledge and improve the material and spiritual life of women.

Vietnam women’s marathon team currently ranks third in the South Asian region after Nguyen Thi Dong ran second at the Mumbai leg of the Standard Chartered Marathon on January 18.

The national team will be called up from May 24 and later join a training session in Japan from June 15-25 to prepare for the second qualifying round of the Asian Women's Football Championship, due to be held in July, 2009.

Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) welcomed and arranged a study tour in Vietnam for the Committee of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS) from December 31st 2008 to January 13th 2009.