Supporting women to start up

In recent years, implementing the Project "Supporting women to start upin the period of 2017 - 2025" (Project 939), women's associations at all levels in Khanh Hoa province have accompanied women to overcome difficulties to gradually improve production and business efficiency, then, promoting and encouraging women's entrepreneurial spirit.

Practical support

Previously, Nguyen Xuan Vuong (Quang Hoa village, Cam Thanh Nam commune, Cam Ranh city) did business to make a living but her income was unstable, so she and her husband switched to farming. In 2015, she and her husband decided to convert nearly 1 hectare of apple-growing land to grow about 900 custard apple trees. After 2 years of care, the custard apples began to yield harvests, 2 crops per year. With an average selling price of 35,000 - 40,000 VND/kg, she sold about 200 million VND worth of custard apples each year. After deducting expenses, she earned about 100 million VND/year. In 2021, the Women's Union of Cam Thanh Nam commune supported her family with a loan of 50 million VND from the job creation fund. From this fund, she rented land and bought seedlings to plant 1 more hectare of custard apple trees. "Thanks to the loan support, I can invest in expanding the planting area, bringing stable income to my family and taking care of my children's education. At the same time, it creates jobs for 3-4 local workers during the season with a salary of 250,000 VND/person/day", Vuong shared. In addition, the Women's Union of the commune also brings her family's custard apples to participate in markets and fairs organized by unions at all levels to introduce and promote the products.

Nguyen Thi Lieu Tram, from the Women's Union of Cam Thanh Nam Commune said that in recent times, the union has actively promoted and supported its members to start businesses; encouraged women to boldly do business in many forms. In addition to supporting loans, giving seedlings and fertilizers, helping to develop startup ideas, the union also regularly brings products and goods made by women entrepreneurs to promote and introduce at markets. Thanks to that, the products are more well known, creating opportunities for women to learn about the market and introduce their products.

Fulfilling set goals

Over 8 years of implementing Project 939, the union at all levels has organized many activities to support women to start businesses. Up to now, 5/5 goals of the project have exceeded the set plan. Of which, 100% of the specialized union officials at all levels participating in the project implementation were raised awareness and methods to support women in starting a business and developing a business; 92.5% of members were informed and raised awareness about employment and starting a business; 1,650 women were supported in training and knowledge of starting a business. In addition, the union at all levels coordinated and supported the establishment of 34 cooperatives and cooperative groups managed or participated in by women; 231 newly established enterprises managed by women were consulted and supported in business development.

The union at all levels disseminated to 480,000 members about policies and guidelines related to starting a business, starting a business, and the role of women in economic development. At the same time, 70 training courses were organized to provide knowledge and skills on entrepreneurship, business administration, business planning, business finance planning, online marketing, corporate tax, intellectual property, digital age business knowledge, etc. for more than 5,000 women who are starting a business.

To support the connection, introduction and promotion of members' products to consumers, Khanh Hoa Province Women's Union organized many activities such as: "Accompanying women in business - connecting OCOP products" fair; media fair, startup festival; forum "Application of digital technology in production and business, accompanying women in business and green transformation", ... The unions at all levels introduced nearly 2,000 members who are starting a business and 16 members of cooperatives and cooperative groups to borrow nearly 160 billion VND from the capital source for job creation; supported 456 women to borrow more than 11 billion VND in unsecured loans during the start-up process.

Nguyen Hoang Van Ha - Vice Chairwomen of the Provincial Women's Union said that the activities of Project 939 implemented in the period of 2017 - 2025 were assessed as appropriate, effective, and had a positive impact on raising women's awareness of the Party's policies and the State's laws on start-ups; promoting and strongly encouraging women's entrepreneurial spirit, thereby, helping women have a stable source of income for their families, improving their quality of life; solving employment, developing connections in production and business value chains between localities; promoting the province's economy to develop further.

Chau Tuong

Translated by T.T