Vietnamese Women’s Union and Local Governance 1 Le Thi My Hanh Vice Chairwoman Women’s Union Da nang City

2 ESTABLISHED: OBJECTIVES FUNCTIONS TASKS ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

3 Work for gender equality, women’s development and protect women’s legitimate rights and interests

4 1. Protect equal rights, democracy and legitimate interests of women; contribute to the Communist Party and governance.

2. Unite, coordinate and educate, mobilise and provide women with guidelines in implementing Government’s and Party’s policies. 5

1. To support women's economic development 2. To build a happy family 3. To build a strong Women's Union 4. To propagate and educate, to raise the level of awareness and capacity for women 5. To participate in formulating and monitoring the implementation of laws and policies related to women 6. To perform the people’s foreign affairs 6

ORGANISATIONAL SYSTEM Central levelProvince and national city levelDistrict and town levelCommune and ward level 7

8 Women’s Union Branch LevelWomen’s Union Group LevelKey forceMember

Women participate in local governance 9

1. Why does the Vietnam’s government have to create favorarable conditions for the Women's Union to participate in local good governance? Over the last 20 years, since the Vietnam government implemented the doi moi (renewal) policies, the Vietnamese life in general, and women’s life in particular has gradually improved. Women have received vocational training, accessed to employment services; gained more education; benefited from health care services, and especially women have increasingly participated in politics. 10

However, the negative side to the market economy mechanism has given rise to many problems that directly impact women’s lives. A number of women are short of employment, funds, experience and scientific knowledge to efficiently produce and do business. Besides that, the rise of social evils such as trafficking in women and children, prostitution, drug addiction, alcoholism, gambling, inequality between men and women in the family also emerged relatively heavily. Cases of beating and ill-treating one’s wife and children, domestic violence, hurting the dignity of women and children still take place in many localities. 11

2. State management agencies to create conditions for Women's Union to participate in local governance? - Invite representatives of the WU at the same level to join the discussion and feedback while formulating socio- economic programs and plans and legal documents; - Invite representatives of Women’s Union at the same level to participate as an official member in the consulting organization, the Management Board, Steering Committee of the State administrative bodies at the same level. - Invite Women’s Union representatives at the same level to join teams for inspecting and supervising the implementation of laws, policies and issues related to the rights and interests of women children. - 12

- Create favorable conditions for activities of the Women's Union: funding, working facilities, assistance in handling social problems related to equality and advancement of women. - Periodically work with at the same level Women's Union to resolve the issues related to the implementation of laws and policies for women and children. 13

3. How has the Women Union iparticipated n the activities at the local governance Contribute opinions for elaboration, amendment and supplement to the legal documents and policies related to women & children, integrate gender factors into the programs and plans for socio-economic development of the locality. Promote the representative role for classes of women in consulting organizations, management board, steering committee... of the state management agencies at the same level on the matters related to women and children, such as labor and employment, vocational training, health care, land issues, housing,... 14

Coordinate the organising of inspection teams and supervising the implementation of laws, policies and issues related to the rights and interests of women children. 15

4. The benefit of women when the Women’s Union participate in local governance Women are enabled to promote their ownership in their participation in the process of building the socio-economic plans, programs and specific policies related to women and children in the locality. Women can participate in the activities of State management at localities and grassroots level such as monitoring the activities of construction investment for welfare works, child care, preschool, land planning... 16

- Women can participate in the activities of State management at localities and grassroots level such as monitoring the activities of construction investment for welfare works, child care, preschool, land planning Women are enabled to express to the government their needs and aspirations for housing, helping poor children, assisting with loans for production development, job creation and transfering scientific technical advances and vocational guidance to know how to do business, organize family life. - Women are protected by the competent authorities upon the occurrence of the violation of the law on marriage and family, domestic violence, gender equality,... 17

- Women are enabled to express to the government their needs and aspirations for housing, helping poor children, assisting with loans for production development, job creation and transfering scientific technical advances and vocational guidance to know how to do business, organize family life. - Women are protected by the competent authorities upon the occurrence of the violation of the law on marriage and family, domestic violence, gender equality,... - Women have increasingly improved their position in the family and society. 18

19 WU’s expectation in democratic local governance –5 steps of involvement with gender equality Be informed Be involved To implement To supervise To make decision

20 CHÀO MỪNG QUÝ VỊ ĐẾN VỚI THÀNH PHỐ ĐÀ NẴNG ( WELCOME TO DA NANG)