Accounting for nearly 50% of the workforce in almost all industries and sectors in Vietnam, women, especially businesswomen have contributed greatly to the process of national socio-economic development. Bac Ninh is a place that has favorable conditions for the development of businesses with great potential for entrepreneurship. Over the past years, the businesswomen of the province, who have not only been “dutiful at housework” but also “capable of national affairs”, and are the real “soldiers” in a tough and challenging marketplace.

Women in Bac Ninh participating in production, business, and startup creation activities

Vietnamese women are actively participating and promoting their roles in various fields and professions that previously seemed only to men. There is an increasing number of women becoming politicians, successful businesswomen and managers.

Over the past years, along with the emulation movement of the whole province, women in Bac Ninh have always been actively and creatively participating in the production, business, innovation, as well as effectively promoting movements of “Women helping each other to develop the economy, and sustainably reduce poverty”, “Women being proficient in production and business”, “Saving days for poor women” and the other movements such as “Promoting innovations, improving techniques”, “Improving productivity, quality, efficiency”, and so on. These activities have gradually enhanced women’s lives, positively contributing to the local economic development.

For better understanding, changing awareness, and rising women’s creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, on June 30, 2017, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 939/QD-TTg, approving the project “Supporting women to start a business in the period of 2017 - 2025”. Immediately after being promulgated, even it was a new activity that enduring difficulties, the provincial Women’s Union at all levels has fully comprehended and effectively implemented the Project.

To facilitate local women to solve their difficulties and problems, the municipal leaders of Bắc Ninh have held dialogues and listened to the problems and concerns of women in general and businesswomen in particular, focusing on such issues as loan support, start-up creation, hi-tech agricultural development support, etc. In 2018, the province held a contest themed “Ideas in Women Start-up” with 21/475 ideas selected to the final round. Two projects in the province chosen to participate in the national level of “Women's Start-up Day” were “The educational model with scientific–technological application” and “Application of science - techniques in growing mushrooms according to VIETGAP standards”. As a result, both ideas were in TOP 5 and TOP 20/137 nationwide, of which one idea received a grant of VND 100 million and the other received a grant of VND 50 million.

By 2020, the whole province has 4,078 women-owned enterprises, in which Women’s Union at all levels have helped and supported 952 start-up women. There are 110 women start-up projects are supported by the assisting package of VND 70 billion from the provincial budget through the Social Policy Bank. Women’s Union at all levels in the province are managing VND 1,445.8 billion from banks and have made 48,722 turns of lending for women members. The movement of women helping each other in economic development continues to be maintained at the Union, with 89,590 assistances from women enterprises and women with better economic background for 29,112 turns of poor women in form of lending money, gold, breeds, and agricultural materials... with the total value of VND 151 billion. Savings activities of officials and members have been regularly carried on at the Union. There are 193,154 women participated in saving activities at all places. The saving source has helped 51,614 turns of women in need of loans for production and business development, with the amount of VND 206,235.5 billion, typically the provincial Confederation of Labor Union’s Women Committee maintained the fund for “Underprivileged Female Workers” and lent for 1,700 female workers with the amount of more than  VND 11 billion...

All levels of Women’s Union also have actively implemented the provincial policies on developing industrial parks, traditional craft villages, building new countryside; actively exploiting resources, constructing economic models, improving the quality of loan management, women helping each other develop the economy, helping the poor women to have a place for living; organizing vocational training and job placement for women; encouraging and creating conditions for women to participate. Besides, in August 2019, Bac Ninh Provincial Women’s Union organized training courses on entrepreneurship and business development knowledge and skills for 200 women in the province, with the content of “Create digital communication channels in social networks and practice technologies to produce organic fertilizers and pesticides”. Participants were instructed and provided with fundamental knowledge to create social media advertising channels, identify potential customers, public relations, retail and customer systems, analyze target group of customers, methods of building and using social media advertising films; introduction of organic fertilizer production technologies from organic wastes, low-cost plant protection solutions, oriented towards value-added agricultural products, low heat drying, cold drying...

With the efforts of women and support from all levels of Women’s Union, women and businesswomen in Bắc Ninh have increasingly affirmed their roles, positions and contributions in many sectors and occupations, thus making an impact to the province’s socio-economic development.

In terms of agricultural production: The application of scientific and technical advances in production has been actively implemented by women, focusing on the production of plants and animals with high economic value and eco-friendly, promoting the value of local traditional craft villages according to the model “One village, one product”, “specialized farming area and commodity area production”, shifting agricultural structure, forming specialized cultivated commodity production, vegetable crops with high economic value, developing farm economic models, growing fruit trees, flowers, and ornamental plants.

In the province, there are many women starting up and developing farm economy towards industrialization; Many large-scale farms are owned and operated directly by women, such as Mrs. Hoang Thi Thu (But Thap village, Đinh To commune, Thuan Thanh district) raising 87 fish cages on a river area of ​​3,132m², gaining the annual revenue of VND 2.5 billion; Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hien (Gia Phu village, Binh Dương commune, Gia Binh district) producing clean vegetables and fruits in combination with breeding under the clean agricultural model, with an area of ​​nearly 10 hectares, the total annual income from VND 1,2 - 3 billion, creating jobs for 20 workers; Mrs. Vu Thi Nho (Lai Nguyen village, Trung Kenh commune, Luong Ta district) with 3 acres growing chili, peanuts, melons, beans, carrots, earning annual income after interest expenses of VND 200 million; The breeding model of Mrs. Trinh Thi My (Phu Luong commune, Que Vo district) with a herd of 73 sows, 850 meat pigs, more than 12 acres of fish... with an annual income of VND 2 to 4 billion; Mrs. Nguyen Thi Loan (Ao Sen, Đinh Bang ward, Tu Son town) converted 1,000m² of paddy rice area to grow 120 pomelo trees, to dig 1 acre of fish pond, to raise 2,000 ducks and 1,500 chickens... with an annual income of more than VND 300 million per year; Mrs. Hoang Thi Huyen, Head of Women’s Union in Tu Ne village (Minh Đao commune, Tien Du district) raising a pig farm of over 2,000 heads, creating regular jobs for workers with an annual revenue of nearly VND 1 billion... More than thousands of women in the province are doing well in agricultural production and business with annual incomes ranging from several hundred million to billions VND.

In terms of industrial production, handicrafts, sales and services: There is a great number of industrial parks, industrial clusters and traditional craft villages Bac Ninh, which is an important condition for provincial officials, members and women to participate in maintaining, expanding and developing traditional professions. Especially, female business owners and businesswomen have been actively innovating methods of production and business; diversifying and ensuring product quality. There are many women who are dynamic, creative, dare to think, dare to do in expanding industries, handicraft, large-scale services, goods production, turning their products into products with brand name and good reputation in the domestic and international market, creating jobs for many workers, especially female ones.

There are lots of typical examples such as Mrs. Nguyen Thi Mai (Đong Ky ward, Tu Son town) who promotes the strengths of the local traditional jobs and establishes Đuc Thang Furniture Export Company with an annual income of more than VND 3 billion, creating stable jobs for over 130 employees with average income of VND 5-10 million/person/month; Mrs. Hoang Thi Binh, owner of Binh Anh Thai company (Thanh Khuong commune, Thuan Thanh district), manufactures detergent products, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, floor cleaner, multi-purpose bleach with an average income of VND 3 billion annually, creating jobs for 20 employees; Mrs. Nguyen Thi Sau (Dai Mao, Hoai Thuong, Thuan Thanh) applies science and technology to a large-scale curtain sewing production, generating annual revenue of about VND 10 billion, creating jobs for about 100 employees; Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh (Trung Thanh village, Dai Lai commune, Gia Binh) specializes in making and selling fashionable Áo Dài, generating turnover of VND 700 - 800 million/year; bronze fine art production by Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thuy (Doan Bai village, Dai Bai commune, Gia Binh) with a turnover of VND 6 - 7 billion annually...

Under the direct guidance of the Provincial Women’s Union, the emulation movements of Bắc Ninh women over the past 5 years have helped 29,112 poor and disadvantaged women. There were 2,536 women who have successfully escaped from poverty. Women’s efforts in production and business have been contributing positively to the overall development and achievement of the province. The poverty rate of Bắc Ninh is decreasing (2.2% in 2015 to 1.27% in 2019); the proportion of medium and well-off households is increasing; the province’s GRDP value ranks 7^th nationally; GRDP per capita value ranks 2^nd nationally; per capita income was VND 73.3 million/year, ranks 5^th nationally.

Recommendations to promote the role of Women’s Union at all levels in supporting Bắc Ninh women in economic development and start-ups

To continue enhancing the role and position of women and businesswomen in Bắc Ninh, especially in economic development, start-up innovation, Women’s Unions at all levels in the province should focus on the following tasks:

Firstly, it is necessary to continue promoting the effective implementation of emulation movements with specific goals, jobs, practical content, meeting legitimate requirements, aspirations, and participation of all classes of women. Focus on renewing organizational methods and encouraging women to achieve socio-economic development tasks, maintain national defense and security, build a strong and transparent Party and political system.

Secondly, renewing the contents and modes of operation of the Union is an inevitable requirement in the new situation; all activities must come from the practical needs, aspirations, and interests of members and women, in accordance with the political mission and specialization of each local unit. Encourage members and women to actively work and study, build happy families, participate in women’s entrepreneurship movement, reduce sustainable poverty, promote internal strengths and diligence in productivity, initiative and creativity in scientific research industrial development, handicraft and services to create jobs and increase income, improve the quality of life.

Thirdly, it is imperative to promote the role of the Women’s Union in the province in the process of building Party and government at all levels; further improve the quality of dialogues with women members. Strengthen communication and raise awareness among women members in training and understanding the values ​​of ethical standards and qualities of Vietnamese women in the industrialization and modernization era which are “Self-confidence, Self-respect, Faithfulness, and Resourcefulness”.

Fourthly, it is required to focus on consolidating the Union’s structure at all levels as a strong and comprehensive local organization, renew the form of gathering members, closely follow local members, promptly grasp their thoughts and aspirations; proactively and actively advise the Party Committees and authorities at all levels to care for the development of female human resources.

Together with the strong development of Bắc Ninh province, women and businesswomen in the province are confidently asserting their bravery and talent in their business careers and startups, contributing more to the province’s socio-economic development.