Fueling Female Startups

​
Women with products on display at Startup Day 2019

Lots of support for women

Vice Chairwoman of the provincial Women's Union Bui Thi Hanh said that in implementing Project 939, the provincial Women's Union collaborated with departments and branches of the province to advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue a plan for implementing the project. The provincial Women's Union focused on surveying needs and promoting the development of cooperative group models and cooperatives implemented by women.

In order for Project 939 to become a movement with a positive and broad impact, the provincial Women's Union organizes a Creative Women Starup Day, the Search for Idea Business Startup Contest; organizes seminars on businesswomen with their business startup experience, symposiums for female startups, forums on the role of women in tourism promotion and heritage connection, etc. in search of feasible business ideas, and applicable to one or more localities; sharing experience and giving fuel to the women who have intended but not boldly started their businesses and confidently embarked on.

Along with that, the provincial Women's Union also established a club to support startup women in Dong Nai province with the participation of business women, business owners, departments and branches to support women with their knowledge and experience, and support women to overcome difficulties and obstacles in the early stages of starting a business.

According the Vice Chairman of the provincial Women's Union, in the process of mobilizing members and female startups, women union officials at all levels focused on helping women from an idea to build a business plan. When the plan is implemented, the Union will have a plan to help its members in a timely manner with the right focus when the members may need assistance in any aspect. For example, for those who need support to promote and introduce products and services, the union will cooperate with departments and industries such as Industry and Trade, Tourism, Farmers Union, Cooperative Union to support its members to participate in fairs and exhibitions inside and outside the province; coordinate with the Department of Science and Technology for registering codes and barcodes, and publishing products to the market; for farmer members who want to start a business, the union's staff will find ways to change the inefficient production method to associating with the establishment of cooperative groups and cooperatives, helping them form economic business thinking with the value chain.

Provoking potential of women

According to the evaluation of the Vice Chairman of the provincial Women's Union, the movement of women helping each other to develop the family economy and the implementation of Project 939 reveals many new factors and typical examples of women who are good businesswomen with contribution to poverty reduction in the province. The movement of female startups has changed the perception and thought of many women in developing family and local economy.

In order to make the movement of female starups more and more widespread, Ms. Bui Thi Hanh said that the Union levels would continue to coordinate with units such as Social Policy Bank, Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Department of Science and Technology to help women realize the idea of starting a business. “At present, we have 2 sources of funding to support women starting their business, the Women's Development Fund and the Commission for Future. Hopefully in the near future, there will be many business women, many clubs and cooperatives owned by women, many women with effective business will be praised”. said Ms. Hanh.     

With the role of chairing the implementation of Plan No.12470/KH-UBND dated November 16, 2018 of Dong Nai People's Committee on the implementation of the project "Supporting women to start their business in the period of 2017-2025", the provincial Women's Union, by 2025, strives to get at least 75% of its members to be propagandized; raise awareness of employment and starting a business; coordinate to establish at least 20 collective economic models, of which 10 cooperatives and 10 production groups are managed by women; support 300 startup women; advise and support 100% of newly established women's businesses for business development and participation of startup day; and establish the Provincial Women's Business Association, etc.

 Phan Anh