Cao Thị Hằng, director of the Thắng Thủy Agricultural Service Production and Trading Cooperative, is one of the exemplary beneficiaries who have effectively applied support from the city Women’s Union. — VNA/VNS Photo Mạnh Minh

HẢI PHÒNG — Numerous programmes to support women starting businesses have been effectively implemented by the Hải Phòng City Women’s Union, helping them prosper in their own home communities.

Women have accessed to loans and attended training courses on business skills, brand building, digital transformation, and placing products on e‑commerce platforms.

Thanks to the help, production and business models owned by women have increased incomes and created jobs for many workers, promoting women’s role in both family and economic development.

The Thắng Thủy Agricultural Service Production and Trading Cooperative in Vĩnh Thịnh Commune is renowned as an effective production and trading cooperative model, notable for trialling new high‑value crops, applying technology and establishing links and purchase guarantees for agricultural produce.

After nearly 10 years as cooperative director, Cao Thị Hằng has steered production and business activities, expanding the raw material area to five times its initial size and diversifying agricultural products.

The cooperative provides direct employment for 17 members and, through production linkages, creates work for over 30 people, helping to raise the value of local farm products.

Hằng stated: “During the course of developing our production and business, we have always received very practical attention and support from the women’s union at various levels. I have participated in many training courses. Thanks to that support, I have changed my mindset towards greater professionalism.”

In particular, the Women’s Union has stood as guarantor and facilitated members’ access to preferential loan sources.

Hằng obtained such finance, purchasing agricultural produce and developing raw material areas during difficult periods. For her, this support is very practical, because for rural women capital remains the greatest barrier when starting and expanding a business.

Alongside assistance for production, the union has enabled the cooperative to participate in fairs and product‑marketing forums, creativity contests and entrepreneurship experience‑sharing seminars.

As a result, the Thắng Thủy Agricultural Service Production and Trading Cooperative has had greater opportunities to expand markets and reach more customers.

In Yết Kiêu Commune, the commune Women’s Union has implemented many programmes to raise members’ awareness of the Party’s guidelines and of laws and policies on economic development and entrepreneurship.

It has encouraged members to change their mindset, awaken an entrepreneurial spirit and legitimate aspiration to prosper. And it has progressively helped them apply these attitudes in actual situation.

The union also actively connects and seeks loan sources for women in the commune. Over the past five years, the commune Women’s Union has helped 256 women starting businesses to obtain loans totalling VNĐ48.8 billion (US$1.8 million), and supported 15 women in difficult circumstances to start businesses, for example by buying sewing machines or breeding stock.

The commune Women’s Union proactively proposed the establishment of a businesswomen’s club model, supported three members to register women‑owned business households and arranged loans for nine club members to invest in start‑ups with funds exceeding VNĐ3 billion ($114,000).

Nguyễn Thị Hương, head of the Bá Đạt Women’s Association, said that through the union’s guarantee channel, ten members of her association secured loans from the Việt Nam Bank for Social Policies to develop aquaculture and farms.

According to the Hải Phòng City Women’s Union, in recent years support for women’s entrepreneurship development have focused on measures suited to the digital and green economy; capacity building; linking support for loans and product consumption; calling for participation and accompaniment of entrepreneurship experts and organisations that have successfully started businesses.

In the 2021–2025 period, more than 2,400 women received support to launch enterprises.

Start‑ups

According to the Hải Phòng City Fatherland Front, the municipal women’s union at various levels is among the leading socio‑political organisations in managing funds that support women’s economic development.

Đặng Thị Phương Liên, deputy chairwoman of the Hải Phòng City Women’s Union, said that going forward the union would concentrate on conducting effectively the Women’s Start‑up Support Scheme for 2026–2035 under Prime Minister’s Decision 2415/QĐ‑TTg.

Specifically, the union will develop an ecosystem to support women’s entrepreneurship and strengthen links among the Government, businesses, investors and experts; build a network of mentors to accompany women entrepreneurs; and provide comprehensive support from training and consultancy to access to finance, markets, brand building, technology application and sustainable business development.

At the same time, the union will build capacity at all levels, strengthen advocacy to improve mechanisms and policies, and step up international cooperation to diversify support channels.

Nguyễn Thị Hương, head of the Bá Đạt Women’s Association, emphasised that access to capital remains a crucial support for women’s start‑ups and production. But, aquaculture currently faces many challenges from weather and environmental conditions, so she hopes the Women’s Union will continue to accompany them, propose technical assistance from specialised agencies to remedy water‑quality problems, and petition for tax reductions for aquaculture households so that producers have more incentive to remain in agricultural production.

Hằng, director of the Thắng Thủy Agricultural Service Cooperative, said the most meaningful outcome of the union’s programmes was renewing confidence and motivation for women to dare to think and act.

“Rural women need a firm support base to turn their diligence and creativity," she said.

"I hope many more women will be given the opportunity to develop economically and contribute more to the community.” — VNS