A Vietnamese women's delegation led by Ha Thi Khiet, chairwoman of the Vietnam Women's Union, attended the first China-ASEAN women's forum, which was held in Guangxi province, China from October 30-November 3.

In the frame work of the jointed project between the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU), Saving Bank Foundation for International Cooperation of Germany and CARD (Philippine), a seminar of experience exchange in monitoring and solving repayment problems was organized by TYM Fund, in Hanoi, from 14th to 15th, August 2006.

This is the first training course of “100 women directors” program – A newly test program within “Enhancing capacity for women” project sponsored by Holland government.

After the successful “Two Sisters” live television program, on the 76th anniversary of Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU), towards the celebration of 45 years of Vietnam – Lao diplomatic relation and the 30 years of Vietnam – Lao Friendship and Cooperation Agreement, President of Laos Women’s Union – Mme. Sisay Leudethmounsone paid a visit to Vietnam and the VWU (23rd – 27th Oct.2006).

On the morning of June 3rd 2006, the Thai Binh Provincial Women’s Union together with the Thai Binh Association Of Assistance To The Disabled And The Orphans organized a ceremony to hand over 500 wheelchairs donated by the Latter-day Saint Charities (LDSC) with the support of Vietnam Women’s Union to the local recipients. Attending the ceremony were representatives of related agencies in Thai Binh and Vietnam Women’s Union.

As news agencies reported that the Norwegian Nobel Committee had decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize 2006 to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank, though it was midnight, many people who are working for hunger eradication and poverty alleviation organisations in Vietnam informed each other about this good news. That’s because Muhammad Yunus has had a strong attachment to Vietnam for more than a decade.

Over the past five years, the union has encouraged municipal women to overcome difficulties and challenges, to make the best of advantages and new opportunities and to boost emulation movements for successful implementation of the resolutions adopted at the Union’s 12th Congress.

A special television programme on the relationship of Vietnamese and Lao women was televised live linking Hanoi with Vientiane on October 20.

Vietnam wants to enhance co-operation in hunger alleviation and the fight against women and children trafficking with Cambodia for the development and progress of the women of both countries.

In the morning of August, 23rd, 2006, the Center for Women and Development at the Head Office of Viet Nam Women's Union held a workshop to share experiences, which would help the Center in conducting entrepreneurs supporting activities.

At the invitation of Norwegian Embassy, the delegation of the National Committee for the Advancement of Vietnamese Women led by Mme. Ha Thi Khiet, member of the Central Party Committee, President of the National Committee for the Advancement of Vietnamese Women together with 12 other members from several departments and agencies visited Kingdom of Norway from 23-29 Sep 2006.

In the official visit to Vietnam by United Democratic Tanzania’s Prime Minister Edward Lowassa,

Vice President Truong My Hoa has called on the Francophone community to focus joint efforts in helping developing nations to provide better access to education for all citizens.

On a visit to Viet Nam to study and exchange experiences on August, 8th 2006, the Laotian Health Minister, Vice Chairman of Laotian Committee for Mothers and Children, Ponemek Dalaloy together with the senior official delegation of Laotian Committee of Mothers and Children worked with the Viet Nam Women's Union.

At the ceremony to praise and acknowledge Hanoi’s Top Students of university/institutions for the school year 2005-2006, 93 Top Graduates were named in The Yellow Book of Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (The first university of Viet Nam). 64 of these graduates were female, accounting for 68,8%.

Based on the functions and tasks of the Centre for Women and Development (CWD), the identification of which direction/orientation to be feasible, efficient and sustainable in business development services activities has been discussed actively at the Seminar on SWOT analyzing and planning which was organized by CWD (Vietnam Women’s Union) on the 4th-5th July, 2006 at VWU’s office.

Lead by Ms. Eleva Villalobos Prats, the mission of Development and Peace Organization (Spanish) visited project “Improving Economic and Health condition of 750 rural households in 5 communes of Quang Xuong district, Thanh Hoa province”, from 31st July - 1st, August 2006.

During 2001 – 2006 term, the Women’s Union of Tuyen Quang town has implemented effective programs to support women in economic development.

In the field of growing and producing mushroom, especially mushroom mould and Linh Chi mushroom (a kind of fungus), it can be said that she is the first person who is successful in central provinces. Her success originates from the responsibility of a head of a cooperative for poor members.

During the 1st half of 2006, the Women’s Union of Bim Son town, in coordination with the Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development, set up saving and credit women’s groups and checked for poor households who have needs for funding to run a business and develop economy.

On World Environment Day, June 5, 2006, more than 4,000 participants from the War Veterans Association, Women’s Union, Schools, Youth Union and Fatherland Front took part in a national attempt to clean every country lane and alley, repair the roads up to the hamlets and clear the bush.

On 22nd July 2006, the Management Board of Dairy Development Project (Dairy Project) - Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) handed-over the van for milk preservation and transportation, a present of Mr. Tran Dinh Hue, a Vietnamese resident in Switzerland and Mr. Nguyen Thuong, the former Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland to the project. The van can carry a load of 1.25 tones and costs more than 300 million VND.

Mme. Ha Thi Khiet, Chairwoman of National Committee of Advancement for Vietnamese women, President of VWU received an invitation from the Cambodia Women’s Affairs Minister, Ms. Kantha Phavi and consequently paid a working visit to Cambodia from 10 to 13th of July, 2006.

The week-long International Women World Fair 2006 was opened yesterday in Ha Noi with the attendance of domestic female-run enterprises, embassies and NGOs working on gender equality and for women’s advancement in Viet Nam.

In June, 3 training-class were organized by TYM Fund (Micro credit Fund of Central VWU) for 91 cadres in credit principles, mobilization and negotiation skills.

The Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) expresses its deep concern at the recent war and violence escalation in the Middle East, which heavily harm civilians in Lebanon and Palestine, especially women and children.

They are ethnic minority women, followers of religion, producers of traditional brocade, woven rattan and bamboo products and sedge mats, in 9 communes belong to Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, Phu Yen, Ninh Thuan, Lam Dong provinces.

From various sources of capital, Khanh Hoa provinces' women's unions at all levels have helped over 8,000 women to access to loans worth VND 39 billion.

The Embassy of Finland and the Women’s Union of Ha Giang province signed the project “Pilot model of caged “Chiem” fish raising, opening a new business model for poor women in the province.

Recently, Quan Hoa Women‘s Union in Thanh Hoa Province has organized a training class to teach and develop the traditional textile industry among local ethnic minority women.

In 2005 and the early months of 2006, Bac Ninh Women's Union at all levels combined with the Social Policy Bank to mobilize funds from other sources. This money funded 55,614 women members with more than VND 199 billion, in which, VND 112 billion is Social Policy Bank's fund equal to 56%. Districts with the largest funds are Que Vo (67,8 billion) and Yen Phong (34,6 billion).

On May 24th, 2006, Mme Ha Thi Khiet, member of the Central Party’s Committee, President of the National Committee for the Advancement of Women, President of the Vietnam Women’s Union and Mr. Jesper Morch, United Nation’s coordinator in Vietnam hosted a reception welcoming Mr. Kofi Annan, United Nation’s General Secretary and his spouse at Melia hotel. Present at the reception were women leaders of several Ministries/sectors and United Nation’s representatives in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Women's Union (VWU) on June 19 presented an insignia for the advancement of Vietnamese women to the Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam, Anna Lindstedt, in recognition of her active support for the Vietnamese women.

The 14th Congress of Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF) will be held in Venezuela in 2007 with the slogan “Women of the world - a vital force against neo-liberal globalization, imperialism, terrorism and wars for equality, economic and social justice, and peace”.

During UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annans official visit to Vietnam, his spouse Mrs. Nane Annan paid a visit to Branch 7 of VWU’s TYM credit fund in Me Linh district, Vinh Phuc province. She attended a meeting with women borrowers at Center 15, Branch 7 and visited 2 women borrowers at their residence.

During the 38th session of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee (March 27 - April 5, 2006), a discussion on the draft Gender Equality Law was held in the morning of March 30.

Right after the article “Vietnamese bride was auctioned in Malaysia” was published in Tien Phong newspaper on 8th May 2006, Mme. Ha Thi Khiet – Member of Vietnam Central Party, President of the Vietnam Women’s Union, President of the National Committee for the Advancement of Women sent a letter to Mme. Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Abdul Zalil - Minister of the Malaysian Ministry on Women, Family and Community Development and Mme. Ramani Gurusamy, Vice President of the National Council of Women’s Organizations in Malaysia. Hereinafter is the full text of the letter addressed to Mme. Minister.

From 31 March – 11 April 2006, Ms. Truong Thi Khue - First Vice President of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) joined the delegation of Vietnamese partners of the program “Assistance for Institutional and Regional Development on Management in Vietnam” (DIREG) and representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training on a working visit to Canada.

Following the orientation workshop on March 14, 2006, a training of trainers workshop was held in Hanoi from April 5-25, 2006. It was done in the framework of the project “Building capacity and developing VWU models of supporting rural women in aquaculture”.

On Apr. 26, 2006, the Central VWU Party organized a get-together with female members of the 9th and 10th Party Central Committee.

Buddhist clerics from the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and several southern provinces flocked to HCM City on April 20 to attend a conference on the progress of an initiative for providing consultancy and support to people living with HIV/AIDS.

Managers from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from Central Highlands Lam Dong province and central Khanh Hoa province gathered at a workshop on improving awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS in the workplace in the resort city of Da Lat on April 11.

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (third from left, first row) asked relevant ministries to work with the Vietnam Elders’ Association (VEA) to provide the best possible care services for the elders.

At the official visit to Vietnam, on 6th April, the delegation of Nepali parliamentarians headed by Mme. Chitralekha Yadav visited the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU).

Implementing the Plan No 44/KH-DCT on 20 April 2005 of VWU Presidium on organization of Women’s Congress at all levels towards the X National Women’s Congress, by 30 March 2006, there are 605/3.297 units (statistics from 18/57 provinces, cities) completing their women’s congress at grassroots level.

German Banking Group supports Microfinance in Vietnam

Her mother, Pham Thi Su, 47, is an ex-soldier, is ill. Because of her ailment, all savings have been spent on her medicine and hospital fees

HIV/AIDS infected adults living at State-owned welfare centres will be given monthly allowances of at least 140,000 VND, while child patients at these centres will receive at least 210,000 VND.

Vietnam is witness to a new trend: Students who went abroad for advanced studies like doctorates are returning home in greater numbers than ever before after completing their studies.

Dozens of Vietnamese women married to Taiwanese have protested in Taipei over comments made by a member of parliament for the local Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) party, ABC News reported Tuesday.