Economic empowerment of women in mountainous areas

In recent years, the role of women in socio-economic development has been increasingly affirmed. However, in remote areas of Thai Nguyen province, many women still face difficulties in accessing production, financial, educational and technological resources. Economic empowerment for women here is not only a matter of gender equality, but also a driving force for sustainable development in the community.

Ms. Trieu Thi Nga (right), Thuong Quan commune, has successfully built a model of growing seedless grapes combined with experiential tourism , attracting many visitors.

In many highland villages, women largely live in conditions lacking infrastructure, information and social services. Many are completely dependent on their husbands or families for economic decisions, which undermines their ability to be self-reliant and develop themselves.

Gender stereotypes and traditional practices are also major barriers. Women are often confined to the role of family caregivers and are less encouraged to participate in production, business or community leadership.

To remove barriers and empower women in mountainous areas to take economic ownership, in recent years, many programs of the Government , social and international organizations have been deployed to remote areas to empower women economically.

Activities supporting interest-free loans, vocational skills training, small business development, and the establishment of women's cooperatives have brought about practical results.

A typical example is Ms. Duong Khanh Ly in the mountainous commune of Nghia Ta. She realized that women who pick yellow tea flowers and sell them to traders only get low prices while the real value of these products on the market is high. Therefore, in 2021, Ms. Ly established the Nghia Ta agricultural and forestry cooperative (HTX) with her as director, with the participation of 14 Tay and Dao ethnic women in the locality.

To promote the development of Nghia Ta Agricultural and Forestry Cooperative, in 2022, funding sources bridging by the Provincial Women's Union supported a solar dryer with a total investment of over 160 million VND. Ms. Ly said: Thanks to the solar dryer, yellow flower tea and bamboo shoots are dried to ensure quality and retain their beautiful colors. Since then, the products have been known and used regularly by many consumers, helping women have a stable income. Currently, on average, women have an income of 4 million VND/month or more.

Through access to knowledge and resources, many women have become self-sufficient and play an active role in the community. Not only do they improve their income, they also inspire the younger generation and contribute to changing social perceptions of the role of women.

Ms. Ha Thi Dao, Chairwoman of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Women's Union, said: We are promoting vocational training activities, supporting women in starting businesses, accessing credit and digital transformation. In particular, we focus on building economic models associated with indigenous culture for sustainable development and preserving traditional beauty.

The Provincial Women's Union has implemented many programs and activities to support women in affirming their position and role such as: Emulation movement "Building Vietnamese women of the new era"; Campaign "Building families of 5 no, 3 clean"; Project "Supporting women to start a business"; Activities to support women's economic empowerment...

Since the beginning of the year, women's unions at all levels have coordinated to organize over 100 training courses on science and technology, plant and animal care, and vaccination for livestock and poultry to prevent disease outbreaks.

Nearly 4,000 female workers have participated in vocational training courses, of which about 2,300 women have been introduced to jobs after training. Activities to support women in accessing credit have been increasingly improved, creating conditions for members to borrow capital to develop production and increase income.

Up to now, the total capital managed by the Association is over 4,600 billion VND for more than 46,000 borrowers. The Provincial Women's Union continues to maintain the "Village of Hope" project phase 2 sponsored by the Global Civic Sharing (GCS) organization of Korea with a total budget of 7 billion, disbursing nearly 3.7 billion VND to 123 poor women; implementing 2 projects "Promoting comprehensive finance for ethnic minority women" sponsored by the CARE organization, the "Village Development" project sponsored by the Global Civic Sharing (GCS) organization of Korea...

Economic empowerment of women is not simply about helping them earn more income, but also about enabling them to participate in decisions within their families and communities. When women have knowledge, finances and a voice, they play an important role in reducing poverty, protecting the environment and preserving national cultural identity.

To make economic empowerment for women in remote areas truly effective and sustainable, local authorities, the Women's Union, social organizations and the private sector continue to closely coordinate in increasing access to finance and micro-credit for poor and near-poor women; Develop vocational training models linked to local needs, combining tradition and modernity...

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202508/trao-quyen-kinh-te-cho-phu-nu-vung-cao-1521be0/