​Since the law on gender equality took effect on July 1, 2007, the implementation of gender equality affairs has been paid more attention to. The district’s People’s Committee has promptly issued plans to implement the national strategies and programs on gender equality in the period of 2011-2015 and in the period of 2016-2020. Also, the district’s Women’s Union has given the district’s People’s Committee advice on how to direct the district’s committees, sectors, unions and people to implement gender equality strictly and effectively to create favorable conditions for both men and women to promote their ownership and equality in all areas of socio-economic and family life, and make an important contribution to successfully implementing the district’s political tasks. The implementation of gender equality has initially gained encouraging results, and gender equality has gradually seen new development steps.

Women help each other to do business

Since the law on gender equality took and was executed under the guidance of the higher-level Women’s Union and concerned committees and sectors, the district’s Women’s Union has developed and issued Plan no. 13/KH-PN dated June 30, 2008 on how to disseminate legal education to women to guide communes’ Women’s Union to carry out and make plans to coordinate with the district’s “For Women’s Progress” Committee, committees, sectors, and unions to disseminate information to and help all Women’s Union officials and membes and women to fully grasp information through the forms of round talks, seminars, conferences, training classes,  meeting activities, writing contests to learn about the law on gender equality, which are organized by the district and the province and timely supply materials for Women’s Union members and women. Those efforts have contributed to raising the awareness of officials and people of gender equality to gradually eliminate the idea of “Value men above women” and implement gender equality between men and women in labor, production and other social activities.

The law on gender equality law has been introduced in various forms, from issuing documents to organizing propaganda and training activities. The participants in training sessions on disseminating propaganda and the law on gender equality are the officials and civil servants who take charge of the tasks related to gender equality and for women’s progress at district and communal levels, officials and members of levels of Women’s Union, chiefs and deputy chiefs of hamlets, heads of sub-Women’s Union, and people.

In recent times, propaganda activities about the law on gender equality have been disseminated to more than 40,000 arrivals of participants. Disseminating policies and the law on gender equality has contributed to raising the awareness and sense of responsibility of all levels of authorities, sectors and classes of people in the community, families and all the society of gender equality and for women’s progress. Since the state management of gender equality affairs was transferred to the Division of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the division has arranged 1 leader and 1 official to be in charge of gender equality affairs and for women’s progress. In addition, the officials in charge of family and children affairs are assigned to take care of gender equality affairs and for women’s progress. The official in charge of gender equality affairs at district and communal levels get trained on professional skills and training courses are held by the district’s Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

The propaganda activities to raise the public awareness of gender and gender equality have been paid attention to by district and grassroots-level women’s unions, have been actively implemented and included in propaganda contents in the past 10 years together with the following contents: disseminating propaganda activities on studying and following Uncle Ho’s moral example of gender equality; Directive no. 37-CT-TW of the 7th Party Central Committee Secretariat on “The affairs of female officials in a new situation”; the government’s Decree no.19-2003-ND/CP stipulating the responsibilities of the state administrative agencies at all levels to ensure that levels of Vietnam Women’s Unions are involved in the State management; Resolution no. 11NQ/BCT on the affairs of women in the period of national industrialization and modernization and the implementation of the sub-project 1 of “ Propaganda and education about the moral qualities of Vietnamese women in the period of accelerating the national industrialization and modernization”.

Promoting female officials’ leadership role

From 2007 to 2017, every year Women’s Union disseminated propaganda activities about gender equality, and the law on how to prevent and control domestic violence to its officials, members, and women with more than 18,000 participants; collaborated with committees, sectors, local authorities, and Cam My district’s radio station to in holding regular propaganda campaigns on gender equality and for women’s progress, especially the dissemination of propaganda and education about gender and legal policies on gender equality in various forms like disseminating propaganda information on the radio stations of the district and communes; printing and giving away leaflets; hanging propaganda banners on the occasion of the “action month” on gender equality; disseminating propaganda  information on propaganda vehicles in far-flung remote and hard-to-access areas in communes. In addition, the propaganda activities on gender equality law are integrated with the get-togethers on the occasion of International Women’s Day – March 8, Vietnamese Family Day - June 28, Vietnamese Women’s Day – October 20 and so on; collaborating with the district’s radio station in disseminating regular propaganda information on the contents related to the law on gender equality; the government’s Decree  no. 55/2009/ND-CP dated June 10, 2009; the provincial Standing Party Committee’s Resolution no. 07-NQ/TU on the implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution no. 11/NQ-TW on women’s affairs in the period of accelerating the national industrialization and modernization; the targets in the national strategy on gender equality in the district on the radio stations at district to communal levels, which is broadcast every Monday and Wednesday. In the past 10 years, 1,200 items and pieces of news; 295 articles; and 20 special themes with a total duration of more than 600 hours have been carried out. In addition, 25 reports and 127 news pieces have been made and sent to Dong Nai Radio and Television Station; 68 classes on domestic violence prevention, gender equality law, legal education, and women’s moral education in the period of industrialization and modernization; education about how to be good parents for 5 million mothers and so on with 3,325 paricipants; collaboration with the district’s Division of Culture and Information to hold a Family Culture and Communication Day on the occasion of the National Action Month on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control on the occasion of Vietnam Family Day (June 28, 2001 - June 28, 2016).

Forums and seminars on the occasion of the Anniversary of the elimination of violence against women on November 25; Vietnamese Family Day; International Women’s Day with propaganda topics like communicative culture in family life, Vietnamese women’s ethical qualities of Vietnamese women in the period of the national industrialization and modernization, propaganda information on marriage and family law, the law on prevention of domestic violence, the law on gender equality, human trafficking prevention, and child labor prevention have been held, attracting nearly the participation of 3,500 children and more than 2,500 adults.

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day – March 8 and Vietnamese Women’s Day – October 20, a lot of activities like get-togethers, cooking competitions, flower arrangements, “Nice men and lovely ladies” contests, fashion shows, “Be more beautiful everyday” contests, fashion shows, training sessions on communication skills and international communication, and so on were held. In addition, special theme talks on women’s role in the period of industrialization and modernization; propaganda activities for women’s progress were disseminated to all the female officials and civil servants that are working for the district’s agencies and units with the participation of more than 3,000 arrivals of officials were integrated.

Also, 25,750 documents, magazines, and propaganda leaflets on the law on gender equality; the law on prevention and control of domestic violence, and child sexual abuse; and taking care of juvenile health for the district’s officials and people were given away.

Duy Minh (Thanh Hai)