A conference to review the results of the project “Enhancing Opportunities for Women’s Enterprises" (EOWE) was jointly organised by the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) and the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation in Vietnam (SNV) in Hanoi on October 12.

VWU Vice Chairwoman Do Thi Thu Thao speaks at the event
(Photo: http://hoilhpn.org.vn/)

As part of the “Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women” (FLOW) programme funded by the Government of the Netherlands, the project has contributed to implementing a project to support women's startups (Project 939).

In her opening remarks, VWU Vice Chairwoman Do Thi Thu Thao said after the four-year implementation at the central level and in the four provinces of Quang Binh, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan, the project has recorded positive results, with 20,000 women and households engaged in smart agriculture value chains that help increase incomes.

Nearly 100 enterprises, cooperatives and business and production establishments led by women have improved their management capacity, production and business capacity and market access, while 200 staff members of associations, departments, and sectors at all levels have improved their knowledge and experience in supporting women to develop a gender-responsive economy, she noted.

Many gender-responsive  production and business models have helped people increase not only their incomes but also community responsibility, and promote and gender equality, she added.

Notably, the project helps women from ethnic minority groups understand their own rights and values, Thao said, adding that it contributes to changing gender stereotypes that have existed for a long time in the society.

Director of SNV Paeter Loach emphasised the importance of promoting women’s empowerment, saying that the project is a valuable opportunity for the organisation to cooperate with the VWU in enhancing women's economic empowerment.

Participants agreed that contents shared at the event and results and experience from the project are really useful lessons for the VWU to continue solutions to make Project 939 more suitable for socio-economic development  in Vietnam in the time to come.