Vietnam Women’s Union visits Israel

11/04/2016
The VWU’s delegation headed by Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, VWU President, had a study visit on Israeli gender equality and agricultural co-operatives from March 27 to April 4, 2016.

The delegation had a meeting with the Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center (MCITC), which was founded in 1960 after Israeli Foreign Minister Ms. Golda Meir and also o­n her initiative. It is o­ne of the three centers under the Israeli Foreign Ministry, providing training o­n female leadership for developing countries. In 1971 the center moved away from the women-only strategy and started training both men and women o­n gender and women empowerment in political and economic spheres. Cooperation with other training facilities helps produce more comprehensive training courses. For example, for a course o­n agricultural start-up, trainees spend a week in Golda Meir Center studying leadership skills and then another week in a different center learning agricultural techniques. Besides, the center holds a conference o­n female leadership every 3 years, the recommendations of which to be submitted to the UN Commission o­n the Status of Women.

Mrs. Thanh Hoa thanked the Golda Meir Center for having received VWU staff in several training courses in Israel and expressed VWU interest to cooperate with MCITC to organize training courses in Vietnam, particularly o­n rural tourism.

The delegation also had an opportunity to learn from WePower experience in advocating for women leadership. Though accounting for 51.4% of Israel’s population, women take o­nly 24% in the National Assembly, 14% in local municipalities, 2% in mayoral positions and 0% in top managerial positions in governmental companies. To improve this situation, WePower chooses a strategy comprised of three factors, i.e. awareness raising, policy advocacy, and training for women leaders capacity building. Regarding policy advocacy, WePower renounced its 30-35% previous quotas and proposed to the Supreme Court to apply the 50-50 regulations. It means that all parties have to ensure the equal number of female and male candidates in election. This proposal has received positive feedbacks from the Supreme Court.

WePower opens a class even when there are o­nly 3 trainees. Through training, WePower provided women trainees with the knowledge and skills o­n gender equality, leadership, and the way to run for election as well as to work effectively in the government. WePower’s over the past 5 years has gained an impressive success – organizing more than 35 leadership programs nationwide, training more than 1,000 women, and more than half of the current female National Assembly members are former WePower’s trainees. WePower’s best practices are very useful for VWU to study and apply into Vietnam‘s circumstances.

In addition to working with women’s organizations, the delegation visited several farms and co-operatives that grow vegetables, flowers, mushrooms, etc. The effective usage of net-houses, high quality plants and automatic irrigation system make it possible for farmers to grow things beautifully even in drought conditions. Especially, the delegation had an opportunity to meet some Vietnamese students and workers working o­n the farms. President Thanh Hoa thoughtfully encouraged them to unite and support each other, exerting themselves in working and studying.

The study visit showed good practices o­n gender equality and agriculture, and suggested cooperation activities between VWU and Israeli partners in the future. 

VWU’s International Relations Dept.

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