Cities and provinces nationwide have been busy with activities to observe the 104 th anniversary of International Women’s Day (March 8).

In Hanoi , a culinary festival was attended by Nguyen Nguyet Nga, the wife of the Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other guests of honour from the Diplomatic Corps.

Addressing the event, Nga said the festival had been arranged to express solidarity with the less fortunate.

Dozens of food stalls were present, giving visitors a varied taste of Vietnamese cuisine. Musical performances and a souvenir auction also took place.

Meanwhile, in the southern province of Tra Vinh , the local chapter of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) hosted an official celebration ceremony on March 7 and received the President’s Labour Order, first class.

For the past five years, VWU’s chapters have raised over 61 billion VND (2.9 million USD) to help poor women do business and take vocational courses, lifting over 1,500 families out of poverty.

The same day, the VWU chapter in the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau held a get-together where it was honoured for its past achievements.

The local women have been active in social and charity activities for many years. They joined hands to build homes worth over 1.3 trillion VND (60 million USD) and presented Nguyen Thi Dinh scholarships worth more than 1 billion VND (400,000 USD) to excellent students from poor backgrounds.

To mark the day, seminars on equality also took place in the southern city of Can Tho and the provinces of Hau Giang and Bac Lieu.

In Ho Chi Minh City , the southern Vietnam Women Museum is showcasing 80 photos and other items related to women who made a contribution to diplomacy during the wars in Vietnam . The exhibition continues until June 30.-VNA