Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh.

Addressing the event, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh said the programme has significant meaning, which aims to bring the better life for women in the areas, contributing to the implementation of the sustainable development goals with no one being left behind.

She called on departments and localities to continuously join hands to carry out the programme to improve the quality of life for poor women, especially those living in border areas.

President of the Vietnam Women’s Union Nguyen Thi Thu Ha stressed the crucial strategic position of border areas and said there are 435 land border communes nationwide, including 267 disadvantages ones.

The Party, National Assembly and Government have put forth specific policies for border areas; however, the proportion of poor households in the region remains high, she noted.

Therefore, the programme in 2018-2020 period is considered an important activity to support underprivileged women across 90 border and island communes to escape from poverty, develop production, and build new rural areas, she added.

On the occasion, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh planted a commemorative tree at Dinh Lap town and presented 220 scholarships worth VND 286 million (US$12,584) of Vietnam Children’s Fund to needy students in northern border communes.

The programme in 2018-2020 period is considered an important activity to support underprivileged women across 90 border and island communes.

The Vietnam Women’s Union and the Vietnam Red Cross Society coordinated with the national humanitarian information portal to launch an SMS campaign from March 7 to May 6, 2018 to support livelihoods of poor women in border areas by texting “BC” to 1409. Each message is worth VND 20,000.

The Border Guard High Command granted VND 684 million (US$ 30,096) to assist women living under the poverty line in four communes in Lang Son province. Meanwhile, the Vietnam Women’s Union presented gifts worth nearly VND 800 million (US$ 32,000) to poor women in Bac Xa commune.

Source: VNA