VWU Activities to celebrate its 84th anniversary and Vietnamese Women's Day 20th October

At the central level:

A ceremony to celebrate VWU 84^th anniversary, Vietnamese Women's Day and to confer the 2014 Vietnam Women’s Awards was held o­n the afternoon of October 17, 2014.

The 2014 Vietnam Women’s Awards were given to 5 successful groups and 10 individuals with outstanding achievements in overcoming difficulties, actively studying and creatively working, thus having greatly contributed to the community. Attending the ceremony were the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee President Nguyen Thien Nhan, National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa. At this event, VWU Presidium conferred Certificates of Merit to provincial WUs and units with great achievements in communicating to and, mobilizing women to make contributions towards the nation’s seas and islands and 28 female students who placed first o­n the 2014 university entrance exams. Particularly, at the ceremony, VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa presented a VND4 billion canoe to the Navy Command and a VND12 billion patrol vessel to the Coast Guard Command, coming from the contributions made by VWU members and women across the country in the campaign "Joining efforts for the nation’s seas and islands" launched by the VWU.

"Our Ao dai" festival held o­n the evening of October 18^th 2014 at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi is a meaningful gift that the VWU presented to mothers and sisters o­n the occasion of the VWU’s 84^th anniversary and Vietnamese Women's Day. Nearly 300 latest samples of Áo dài (Vietnamese national costume) made by 17 designers from Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh Cities were introduced at the event. All of the designs were well associated with the country and Vietnamese people. 50 professional models, 20 middle-age models and 50 children voluntarily participated in this event, contributing their efforts to promoting and honoring the beauty of Ao dai and Vietnamese women.

Earlier, the VWU held the Closing ceremony of 2014 lullaby, folk and traditional songs festival for the southern region in Bac Lieu province o­n October 4^th 2014 and for the northern region in Bac Ninh province o­n October 9^th 2014. This festival was aimed at encouraging lullaby, folk songs movement for women of various social walks, improving communication effectiveness, attracting wide participation of women and people, and contributing to preserving and promoting the nation’s traditional cultural values. It is a meaningful playground, an innovative, attractive and effective communication form of the VWU...

Especially, o­n the morning of October 10^th 2014 in Hanoi, the VWU in collaboration with the Government Committee for Religious Affairs organized a Conference to honor outstanding female religious dignitaries and sub-dignitaries. Attending and addressing the conference were Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa. 98 outstanding female religious dignitaries and sub-dignitaries who are members of VWU executive committees at different levels have been awarded certificates of merit by VWU Presidium. This event is to hail the efforts by the female religious dignitaries and sub-dignitaries in communicating to and motivating female religious followers to abide by the Party directions and guidelines, the State laws and policies, to build a better life, actively contribute to the national construction and defense as well as to further promote their role in developing Vietnamese women's movement and activities of WUs at all levels.

Also o­n this occasion, a Congress to launch the Vietnam Association For Women Entrepreneurs (VAWE) was held at the Center for Women and Development (18-19 October, 2014) with the participation of 345 delegates representing provincial women entrepreneurs’ associations and clubs, outstanding female entrepreneurs from different regions, female leaders of corporations, companies and VAWE establishment Advocacy Board members etc. The Congress was attended by Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa. This is an important event for women entrepreneurs, marking the official presence of a legally recognized organization of Vietnamese women entrepreneurs. Accordingly, the VAWE is a socio – professional organization of Vietnamese women entrepreneurs from different business sectors. The VAWE is under the State governance of the Ministry of Planning and Investment and relevant ministries/agencies; a member organization of the VWU. The Congress approved VAWE goals, directions and tasks, elected its Executive Committee, Standing Committee, president and vice presidents for the 2014-2019 term. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa has been elected as VAWE President.

At the local level:

Women’s unions at provincial/municipal level organized various activities such as honoring outstanding women, female entrepreneurs; organizing women's innovation day; meeting women having participated in resistance wars, provincial female leaders and managers; holding cultural exchange events; ao dai exhibition; seminars, conferences and discussions o­n gender equality, improving the performance of WUs at communal level, women with traffic safety; contest of excellent grassroots WU staff; launching the club “women and law”; activities towards the seas and islands and for international cooperation to promotewomen’s role in ASEAN community...