At a working session with the Union’s leaders in Hanoi on December 11, Mr Dung acknowledged women’s role in joining hands with the nation to curb inflation and stabilise the macro-economy in the past months.

He pointed out difficulties and challenges facing the national economy in 2009 and asked the Union to develop more poverty reduction, employment and credit programmes to help women improve their well-being, particularly for those living in rural and remote areas.

He also asked the union to enhance the dissemination of the Law on Gender Equality among both men and women so as to change their behaviour and minimise domestic violence.

Chairwoman of the Union Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa told Mr Dung that in 2008 the Union, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, organised vocational training courses for nearly 60,000 women and provided steady jobs to 60,400 women. Its chapters developed many safe food production and processing models to help bring about a change in women’s awareness and behaviour regarding food hygiene and safety.