Ms. Cao Xuan Thu Van - Chairwoman of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance - emphasized: Gender equality and women's empowerment, including economic development for women, are concerns of countries around the world and the region, including Vietnam. The development of cooperative economics and cooperatives has always been a solution for communities to access services according to their needs. In this general development, more and more cooperatives are being established and led by women, operating effectively, contributing to job creation, and increasing income for members and workers.
"In the agricultural sector alone, although there are no comprehensive research data, at least 10% of women participate in management among more than 20 thousand agricultural cooperatives; 85% of female workers participate and have stable jobs in this field. Additionally, over 80% of cooperatives organize the production and business of products and services with significant female participation, such as weaving and knitting... Besides, the "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) program is currently one of the levers promoting rural economic development, contributing to accelerating the process of building new rural areas. Many products recognized as OCOP have initially affirmed their position in the market, creating a boost for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. Among the entities participating in OCOP, the proportion of female entities is 39%, about 20% of cooperatives registering OCOP products are models managed by women, contributing to the success of the program," Ms. Cao Xuan Thu Van added.
According to Ms. Cao Xuan Thu Van, cooperatives managed by women create many jobs for female workers, paying attention to policies on health insurance, social insurance, and other social issues. Many new cooperative models have been established, management staff's qualifications have been improved, they are sensitive to market mechanisms, and boldly apply science and technology to production and business, bringing practical economic benefits to members, thereby affirming the position and role of cooperatives in the restructuring of agricultural economics and building new rural areas.
In Vietnam, the collective economy and cooperatives (HTX) have made progress in both quantity and quality, overcoming prolonged weaknesses. As of the end of June 2024, the country has 32,688 cooperatives, an increase of 2,263 cooperatives compared to the same period in 2023. The cooperative sector attracts over 6.94 million members (an increase of 31,770 members compared to the same period in 2023) and 2.59 million workers (an increase of 48,448 workers compared to the same period in 2023).
The collective economy and cooperative sector have developed positively, especially non-agricultural cooperatives, with a growth rate higher than the same period in 2023.
