Within the framework of the 4th Gender Focal Point Conference, which is jointly held by the Colombo Plan Gender Affairs Programme and the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU), in the afternoon of December 4, 2019, the delegation of Colombo Plan from 6 countries paid a visit and learned about the microfinance model of TYM in Soc Son, Hanoi.
The delegation visited the house of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hanh, a member of TYM in Soc Son branch, Hanoi. Mrs. Hanh shared with the delegation about TYM’s loan and savings products and services that she is using and how the increasing amount of loan that she borrows from TYM has helped her to develop her family economy. Mrs. Hanh has joined TYM since 1998 and the first loan she borrowed from TYM was VND 600,000 which was used to raise small pigs and chickens at home. In 2008, thanks to the stable loan from TYM every year, as well as the advice and support from TYM staff, her family started a VAC farm model to raise chickens and Muscovy ducks, pigeons, and fish pond and fruit crop with an area of over 01 hectares. In 2019, her family established Binh Minh Clean Agricultural Cooperative, aiming to gather and support 12 other livestock households in the locality. Mrs. Hanh now is borrowing VND 45 million from TYM and having deposit account at TYM. Ms. Hanh is one of the examples showing the positive impact of microfinance on rural women and low-income women. This economic development has also led to a change in the status of women in the family as well as in society.
The 4th Gender Focal Point Conference in Hanoi was conducted in accordance with the agreement between the Vietnam Women’s Union and the Colombo Gender Affairs Programme (CPGAP). With the theme of “improving gender power, sustainability and mobilizing resources,” the delegates had 3 continuous working days with the purpose of strengthening cooperation among member countries in programs to improve rights and skills for women and development for children.
The conference highlighted cross-country experiences, sharing the influence of the legislature on the following topics:
-Improve gender power, economic sustainability and resource mobilization: Mobilize resources from the private sector, generate income and household economy.
– Preventing and responding to gender-based violence: Mobilizing the participation of men and boys in addressing gender-based violence; Solving child marriage and forced marriage; Gender equity – Strengthening the enforcement of justice.
– Child protection and development: Comprehensive care for children with disabilities; Crime online: Safe, friendly environment for children; Health and nutrition security for children.
– Responding to climate disasters and the impact on women and children as well as indigenous women: The impact of community development and activities on the environment; the importance of implementing gender mainstreaming in climate change adaptation; How to integrate gender into climate change adaptation and planning and action.
The Gender Program (CPGAP) will introduce new initiatives, including new programs in many countries this year, including Vietnam.