In Int'l Woman Day- Women receive more effective asssistance
Ha Noi, Mar. 8 (VNA) -- The Viet Nam Women's Union, VWU, obtained good results in implementing projects for the benefits of women throughout the country last year.
The VWU effectively implemented a programme to help women to conduct scientific research and apply scientific advances. It also assisted women to generate jobs and increase their income to get out of poverty.
Last year, 22,661 women savings groups and 14,197 women credit groups were set up, bringing the total number of these groups to 161,109 and 64,385, respectively.
Local women's chapters provided more than VND 2,000 billion (USD 14 million), to nearly two million poor women in 2000 to develop production, up by 23 percent against the 1999 figure.
In addition, these chapters stepped up "know-how" transfer and production consultation activities to women, particularly to poor and minority women living in remote areas. The move aimed at helping poor women effectively utilize poverty reduction loans.
The VWU established a network of female trainers for agriculture promotion and held training courses on livestock breeding, farming techniques and microbiological fertilizer processing for almost three million women.
It collaborated with the Plant Protection Department to organize 15,349 training courses on integrated pest management (IPM) for 302,322 women cadres and nearly 2.6 million women farmers.
This year, the VWU plans to classify poor households according to the newly-approved criteria. More investment will be granted to poor minority women living in mountainous areas to help them get rid of poverty. The Union keeps promoting the movement for women's mutual assistance to develop household economy in 2001.--VNA
