Implementing the 2009 work plan, the standing committee of Ha Nam provincial Women’s Union organized a training class on “improving knowledge on state management and women’s union work” for 232 women who are full time women’s union cadres and key cadres at local women’s unions of Ha Nam province from 28th July to 1st August 2009.

Suoi Da is a rural, large and populous commune of Duong Minh Chau district, Tay Ninh province. More than 90% of the households are doing agricultural works. The number of poor households is 511 (equivalent to 17% total households), among which, there are 122 poor female-headed households.

Under the framework of the project “Law and life club” (LARC II) to improve capacity of the women’s union, Bac Kan provincial Women’s Union organized a training course on skills of law communication and counseling for its staff and the staff of local justice organs. This project is funded by CARE International in Vietnam in collaboration with Bac Kan provincial Women’s Union and was implemented at Cho Moi and Na Ri districts from June 2007.

Recently, Quang Binh provincial Women’s Union organized a meeting to evaluate 5 year implementation of providing entrusted loans for poor households and beneficiaries of social policies and commence the work plan for the last 6 months of 2009.

In July 4th 2009, the VWU Presidium awarded the honour medal “For the development of Vietnamese women” – a noble prize of VWU to 3 German experts: Mr. Niclaus Bergman, Acting manager of Saving Banks Foundation for International Cooperation (SBFIC)/Sparkasee Essen Bank, Mr. Klaus Remmer, Manager of Sparkasee Essen’s Service Center, coordinator of the TYM project; & Mr. Joerg Teumer, TYM project’s consultants team leader, to recognize their contributions to promote and strengthen the cooperation and assistance towards the VWU in general and TYM Fund in particular in supporting poor women through credit & saving activities.

With the support of Vietnam Women’s Union, An Giang provincial Women’s Union organized a training course on anti-drug for advocators of An Giang Women’s Unions from 29th to 31st July 2009.

With the aim to help Son La Women’s Union to improve their staff capacity to implement the representative function of Son La Women’s Unions, Vietnam Women’s Union sent a mission to organize a training course for 78 women cadres from Son La provincial Women’s Union and 11 district women’s unions.

On 7th August 2009, Vietnam Women’s Union organized the Workshop “developing sub-projects”, under the framework of the project “ethical communication and education for Vietnamese women in the period of industrialization and modernization” which was developed by VWU and approved by the Prime Minister.

In the first 6 months of 2009, all levels of Hung Yen Provincial Women’s Union have used reputation as collateral to guaranty 60 billion VNDfrom Provincial Social Policy Bank to disburse loans to WU’s members raising the total VWU’s management capital to 388 billion VND for 49,967 borrowers.

In the first 6 months of 2009, Women’s Union at all levels in Thanh Hoa province have coordinated with the Department of Industry and the related organizations ... to mobilize fund to organize vocational training classes and to promote job creation and incomes generation for the 5000 members and women.

Phu Yen Women’s Union has implemented 7 projects to develop traditional village production in order to create conditions for members and women to increase income, develop household economy in districts of Tuy An, Song Cau, Phu Hoa and Tuy Hoa city.

Following the mobilization “Affection” house building and repairing by Central WU, in July 15th, WU of Kinh Mon district inaugurated and offered affection houses to Ms.Hoang Thi Chinh & Ms. Nguyen Thi The, members of WU in Thuong Chieu hamlet, Tan Dan commune.

On July 30th 2009, Bac Giang provincial Women’s Union organized the launching of the club “women take part in environmental protection” at the hall of Song Mai People’s Committee.

Recently, The VWU Presidium organized a meeting of Steering Committee and Advisory Board to carry out the project “Studying, compiling the history of VWU (1930 – 2010)” and to get comments and inputs for the annals.

During 1st half of 2009, WU of Dong Son district launched the 2nd time of saving movement to help poor women.

Women’s Union of Quang Tri province welcomed and shared experiences with women of Mukdahan Province, Thailand

On July 30th 2009, Bac Giang provincial Women’s Union organized the launching of the club “women take part in environmental protection” at the hall of Song Mai People’s Committee.

Women’s Union of Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province is the leading unit for many years in the women’s union activities movement. 19 per 19 communes of the Kim Bang district set up the “happy family” clubs with 380 couples participating in the 2 annual meetings on the occasions of Vietnamese Family’s Day June 28th and Vietnamese Women’s Day October 20th.

On July 13th, the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam Women’s Union, led by Madame Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, member of the Vietnam Central Communist Party Committee, President of Vietnam Women’s Union, paid a visit to Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Around the world, as many as one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in some other way - most often by someone she knows, including by her husband or another male family member; one woman in four has been abused during pregnancy.

Following 3 workshops on women cadres work organized by the Central Personnel Department in cooperation with the VWU’s Party Committee in March 2009, on 22 June 2009, the VWU’s Party Committee organized a workshop on counseling and implementing women cadres work for the provincial/citadel Women’s Union from northern regions in Hanoi.

On June 26th, Gia Lai WU organized the training: “Supporting women in economic development and collecting data/information” for 37 district/town/City WUs Presidents Vice-Presidents and staff of provincial WU.

On the occasion of Vietnam’s Family Day (June 28th), WUs at all levels of Hai Duong province had many activities to praise exemplary women and to encourage poor members and their families…

Women’s Union of Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province is the leading unit for many years in the women’s union activities movement. 19 per 19 communes of the Kim Bang district set up the “happy family” clubs with 380 couples participating in the 2 annual meetings on the occasions of Vietnamese Family’s Day June 28th and Vietnamese Women’s Day October 20th.

Following the mobilization “Affection” house building and repairing by Central WU, on June 19th, WU of Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province inaugurated and offered an “Affection house” to Ms. Duong Thi Thuc in Van Xa commune....

Khanh Nhi is the first Vietnamese teenager to be recruited by the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS), one of the world’s leading financial firms, and her biggest dream is to advance her career in Vietnam when the bank opens a branch in the homeland.

The Chu Ru ethnic minority group, also called Cho Ru and Chu, has a population of more than 10,000. Chu Ru ethnic minority people mainly live in Don Duong district in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, and the rest in the south-central province of Binh Thuan. The Chu Ru language belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian group.

In the first 6 months of 2009, Da Nang Women’s Union at all levels has concentrated on fostering the communication of crime prevention.

Up to June 10th, all 12 districts, cities and Women’s Police Units in Hai Duong Province successfully organized the competition “being a good local WU president” with the involvement of 265 of WU’s presidents from communes, districts, towns and Women’s Police Units.

Unemployment or lack of regular income, together with a poor cultural life, has put women migrating to Ha Noi from rural Viet Nam at risk to a variety of social evils, new research confirms.

Implementing the plan of prostitution prevention in 2009 and thanks to the Vietnam Women’s Union’s support, from 25 to 26 May 2009, Thai Binh Provincial Women’s Union organized a training on communication skills of prostitution prevention for 60 cadres from the Provincial Women’s Union, 8 districts, cities and other 40 focal points on social evil.

The project for “Strengthening the Central Women’s Cadres Training School towards establishing Women’s Institute of the Vietnam Women’s Union” organized ‘Training and experience sharing workshop on promoting women entreupreunership’ in Hai Phong from 26 – 28 May, 2009.

The UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID) approved a new funding of US$30 million from 2009 to 2012 to support the Government of Vietnam in its efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS on June 5.

Since August 2008 when the new product for supporting families known as Mutual Assistance Fund was first launched, TYM Fund has distributed more than VND 400 million to over 300 household members involved in the project

Seventy-three-year-old Nguyen Thi Mai (not her real name) smiles to hide her deep sadness.
"What can I do?" the 73-year-old woman replies to a question about whether her meagre income is enough to feed her HIV-positive son.

In order to help older people affected by HIV and AIDs and their family members to earn descent and reliable living under the project VIE 011, Hanoi Women’s Union continues piloting the new project supported by Ford Foundation in Vietnam.

On the occasion of celebrating the Liberation Day of the South of Vietnam, April 30, and the International Labor Day, May 1, Vice President of VWU, Mme. Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy, received the delegation of former leaders of VWU at the central and provincial levels who are currently retired in the South of Vietnam during their visit to Hanoi on April 22, 2009 at the head quarter of VWU.

Vietnamese women account for 51% the country’s population and over half of the labor force in Vietnam, 80% of whom are living in the rural areas. Being hardworking and innovative, women in Vietnam have made significant contribution to the national socio-economic development. In the economic field, women participate in most of business sectors: manufacturing. production, trade and services.

In the afternoon of March 31st 2009, a Get-together between representatives of Vietnam Women’s Union and staffs of Cuban Embassy in Vietnam was hold in Hanoi. Attended at the Get-together were Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa - President of VWU , Mr. Fredesman Turo Gonzalez - Ambassador of Cuban Embassy in Vietnam, leaders and officials of some departments of the Central VWU, Cuban Embassy officials, Cuban female cadres and students who are working and studying in Vietnam

On the eve of International Women’s Day (8 March) the United Nations in Viet Nam is calling for concerted efforts to tackle violence against women and girls in Viet Nam. The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, ‘Women and Men: United to End Violence against Women’ is a call to action underpinning a global campaign launched by the UN Secretary-General in February 2008.

- To raise all-sided capacity and knowledge and improve the material and spiritual life of women.

Vietnam women’s marathon team currently ranks third in the South Asian region after Nguyen Thi Dong ran second at the Mumbai leg of the Standard Chartered Marathon on January 18.

The national team will be called up from May 24 and later join a training session in Japan from June 15-25 to prepare for the second qualifying round of the Asian Women's Football Championship, due to be held in July, 2009.

Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) welcomed and arranged a study tour in Vietnam for the Committee of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS) from December 31st 2008 to January 13th 2009.

On December, 2008 Women’s Union of Thua Thien Hue province held the seventh annual Executive Committee meeting to review the women’s movement, Women’s Union’s activities in 2008 and activities plan for 2009.

The Women’s Union of HCM also gave presents and greetings to over 2,500 families of 24 districts on the Ky Suu Tet Holiday. The cost for these presents was more than 650 million VND.

Districts including Tuy An, Tay Hoa, Dong Hoa, Song Cau, and Tuy Hoa, received fifteen outfits and other districts received ten outfits. All the clothes were donated by the Korea-Vietnam Friends Organization, worth around 23 million VND.

On the afternoon of January 5th 2009, Mrs. Pham Hoai Giang, member of the Presidium, Head of the International Relations Department, Vietnam Women’s Union, had a visit with the Ambassador of Palestine, to share deep sympathy and sorry, for the Palestinian people, women and children who were victimized by the recent tragedy from Israeli military on the provinces of the Gaza strip.

In January 21st 2009 morning, a Get-together to extend Lunar New Year greetings and to present gifts to retired cadres of VWU was held in Hanoi, at the Centre for Women and Development of Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU)

On December 12th 2008, The Central Women Cadres School organized training class on social account argument with the aim to improve the capacity and knowledge for the school’s staffs and lecturers. The class was attended by Ms. Hoang Thi Ai Nhien, Vice- President of Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) and nearly 50 participants who are VWU and school’s cadres, lecturers and researchers.