Overcoming COVID-19 with sustainable values

Hanoi (VNA) - A project which strengthens the operation of collectives and the participation of women in production and business activities has proved effective in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh.

Local people in My Long Nam commune, Cau Ngang district, Tra Vinh province attend a regular discussion about solutions to earn higher income from production activities (Photo: Vietnam+)

My Long Nam commune, Cau Ngang district, Tra Vinh province is known as the land of clam and harvesting clam is a traditional trade of the locality. However, in the past, production and business activities are considered as the duty of men alone while women are in charge of housework only.

But since an Oxfam-funded project which promotes aquaculture and fishery sustainability and gender equality is deployed in the locality, husbands now do more housework, while wives have proactively joined meetings and discussed plans on farming. Now, both the wife and husband make decisions on their financial situation together, and are happier for it.

Quang Quoc Binh, Director of Thanh Cong Cooperative in My Long Nam Ccmmune, Cau Ngang district, Tra Vinh province, said that in the past, men were worried about making money and their wives took care of children and housework. This job separation has created tension in the family and pressure on both sides.

Because housework and childcare are put on the shoulders of women, while men alone make a living in the society, they are responsible for bringing in income. The couple seem to belong to two worlds. They do not understand the other's work and burdens.

The process of gender equality makes women no longer only confined to housework, but expands their knowledge both in terms of economy and culture, Binh said.

“We all encourage women to further participate in every area. Women are now actively exploring information in society and sharing more with their husbands, and thus accelerating their family’s economy and improving happiness.”

Thanh Cong Cooperative director Quang Quoc Binh guide local people in a discussion about ways to improve livelihoods. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Coming to Long Hoa island commune, Chau Thanh district, Tra Vinh province, Tien Thanh Clam Farming Cooperative in Long Hoa island commune, Chau Thanh district, Tra Vinh province has more than 300 members, of which a third are women. Dinh Thi Chien said she is the only female in the management board of the cooperative.

According Chien, the women in the commune are still very shy, but after training classes on promoting gender equality through collective actions, everyone is also broadened their knowledge. Local women have actively involved in social activities and perceived their role in promoting the family economy.

In this regard, the Director of Thanh Cong Cooperative also acknowledged that although the proportion of female members in his collective is only 30%, their voices are always recognised.

Oxfam has been developing a variety of projects to challenge gender prejudice. One such initiative on inclusive and sustainable clam and bamboo value chain development in Vietnam during 2018-2022, in provinces such as Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Nghe An, and Thanh Hoa, is expected to enhance income and reduce poverty sustainably through improving capacity and performance of small-scale households, helping them to approach market more easily.

According to Phan Thi Thu Huong, Oxfam’s gender equality project manager, experts of both Oxfam and ICAFIS use the Gender Action Learning System to analyse and promote woman’s power in every family and cooperative. The system includes various branches on gender dynamics analysis, engaging participants, collating emerging gender issues, empowering farmers, and more besides.

“These tools of aims to analyse and empower woman so that they can control and benefit from all resources, assets, incomes and thus improve their decision-making ability, as well as improve their lives,” said Huong.

Oxfam’s projects which challenge gender prejudice are expected to enhance income and reduce poverty sustainably through improving capacity and performance of small-scale households, helping them to approach market more easily. (Photo: Vietnam+)