Conference on Overseas Vietnamese Women
Upon establishing the theme of “Promoting the role and potential of overseas Vietnamese women in developing community and country”, the conference received responses from a number of Vietnamese women living all around the world. As a result, more than 200 overseas Vietnamese women from 28 countries and territories participated in the conference.
The conference had the honor of welcoming leaders and former leaders of the Party and State, as well as leaders of many departments, mass organizations and localities. Speaking at the conference, Politburo member and Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Nguyen Thien Nhan, on behalf of the Party, State and the Vietnam Fatherland Front, sent his warmest greetings to the conference. He asserted that women have an important mission towards the soul of the family. When living abroad, women also have responsibility for connecting the overseas Vietnamese community with the country. The Chairman said that the Vietnam Fatherland Front in the 2014-2015 workplan would initiate the Program All Together Preserve and Promote Vietnamese Culture and Language in Vietnamese Communities Abroad. The Vietnam Fatherland Front will propose to the Government and give its best support for the VWU to lead in implementing this program.
After the solemn opening ceremony, 56 delegates who have made outstanding achievements in community work and uniting overseas Vietnamese women were awarded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam Women’s
During the two working days, the conference included 3 seminars on: Sharing experiences in gathering and uniting overseas Vietnamese women abroad; Overseas Vietnamese women contributing to promoting national identities; and Connecting Vietnamese female entrepreneurs and intellectuals at home and abroad. According to VWU’s statistics, Vietnamese women’s organizations have been formed in 17 countries, most of which are European, taking on various forms such as: women's unions, women's clubs and women's groups. Furthermore, in some areas, although there is not a specific organization for Vietnamese women, sisters are actively getting involved in Vietnamese associations and contributing to the overall development of the community. Women’s organizations have carried out many diverse activities which meet both specific needs of women as well as the general needs of the community.
At the seminars, participants actively shared information and experiences and made recommendations to Vietnamese agencies to help further promote Vietnamese women's roles in the community. In particular, sisters expressed the desire to be more deeply involved in the operations of the VWU and overseas Vietnam Women's organizations recognized as members of the VWU. They also proposed that the VWU help introduce overseas Vietnamese women's organizations withprovincial women’s organizations so that they can become sisters and work together. In addition, it was also recommended that VWU collaborate with Vietnamese agencies such as the Youth Union to generate donations from overseas Vietnamese to hold summer camps for overseas Vietnamese children. All delegates had a common aspiration to have the next meeting for overseas Vietnamese women at both a global and regional level with specific themes so that sisters living in country and abroad can closely connect with each other.
On the occasion of the conference, President Truong Tan Sang gave the overseas women a cordial reception at the Presidential Palace. At the meeting, the overseas women reported to the President on the activities of Vietnamese women abroad and expressed their desire for the support of overseas Vietnamese communities. They expressed a particular desire to teach overseas Vietnamese’s children the Vietnamese language. State President Truong Tan Sang highly appreciated their contribution and the idea of holding this conference. He proposed that ministries and branches should keep organizing similar activities to meet the aspirations of overseas Vietnamese towards the betterment of their home country.
After the two-day seminar, the delegation visited a number of historical monuments and attended a great requiem for heroic martyrs and the people who sacrificed themselves for the national defense in Thanh Hoa province. This is a notable activity that helped the participants recall the glorious national history and assisted in promoting the heroic tradition of the Vietnamese proverb: "when you eat a fruit, think of the man who planted the tree”. The overseas Vietnamese were moved to have had the opportunity to attend this activity and confirmed that they would continue their activities in support of the homeland.
On this occasion, the delegation visited some initiatives of the local women, such as a TYM branch in Quang Xuong district, a mushroom cooperative, and a farm of a former volunteer youth group. The participants were very impressed with the activities and the overall movement of women in the country. They also made financial contributions to these initiatives. The visit helped overseas Vietnamese women learn more about women’s conditions as well as the women’s movement in the country. This helped build a relationship of support and understanding between Vietnamese women inside and outside the country.
The conference on overseas Vietnamese women showed great spirit of national unity and reflected the determination and aspirations of overseas Vietnamese around the world towards their home country. The conference will help provide the VWU, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, and related agencies more information and thus a better basis for advising the Party and State on guidelines, policies, and programs to help address the needs of overseas Vietnamese women and organizing more meaningful events for them.
The delegation pays a contribute to 
