The 7^th Military Women's Congress (2021-2026) takes place in the context that the entire Party, people, and army are actively grasping and implementing the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the 11^th Congress of the Military Party Organisation. This is an extensive political activity for military women to set and implement the goals, targets, action plans to build the Union strong, actively contributing to the cause of Military construction, defence strengthening, and Fatherland protection in the new period.

In the past five years, under the leadership and direction of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, the General Political Department, the instructions of the Vietnam Central Women's Union and central agencies; the attention and facilitation of party committees, political commissars, commanders and political agencies at all levels, women's work and women's movement in the Military are seeing ceaseless growth, disciplined and effective operations, successfully fulfilling the set goals, targets and action plans. The Committee for the Advancement of Women at all levels has been active and proactive in advising the leaders and commanders of the units to well implement the Action Plan for gender equality and for the advancement of women. At the same time, they have done well the propaganda, advocacy, education and guidance of women's members to promote tradition, improve political bravery, nurture their moral qualities, strictly observe the law and discipline, and successfully accomplish all tasks. The Military Women's Department, women's boards of the units (now the mass affairs board), the staff in charge of women's work in the whole military have upheld their sense of responsibility, innovation, and creativity in the performance of their functions of advising, proposing, guiding and implementing the key tasks, such as: the 5-year Military Women's Action Program (2016 - 2021); building and consolidating women's organisations strong, operating in accordance with its functions and tasks, steadily developing women's work and the Military women's movement.

Rewarding individuals and collectives in the movement titled “Military women study and follow Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics, and lifestyle (photo: qdnd.vn)

Notably, they have done a very good job in the implementation of the emulation movement, namely “Military women unite - create, accomplish tasks well, build a happy family, be worthy of Uncle Ho soldiers”, with rich and diverse contents, targets, forms, measures and models, attracting a large number of its members. In particular, this movement has been closely linked with other emulation movements with many good, practical and effective ways, making an important contribution to the successful implementation of political tasks of agencies, units and the whole military.

With their achievements, in the past 5 years, 11 collectives and individuals of Military women have won the awards of Vietnamese Women and Creative Women; thousands of its cadres, members have been awarded with certificates of merit, etc.

In the coming years, the world is facing a double crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is developing robustly, bringing about opportunities in different fields but also posing many challenges. Implementing the Millennium Development Goals for gender equality places high demands on many countries and nations. Domestically, our country is facing a rapid aging population, and problems relating to social security, marriage and family, gender inequality, etc. The Military is undergoing restructuring, including women's organisations. In order to further facilitate women's work and women's movement in the Military, it is necessary to focus on the following solutions.

1. Strengthening the leadership and direction of party committees, commanders, political commissars and junior commissars at all levels for women work in the Military. According to the working regulations, the Party committees at all levels issue periodical thematic resolutions, resolutions, conclusions and directives on women's work, renew leadership methods and styles for mass work in general, women's work and gender equality in particular; have plans and create favourable conditions for the promotion and progress of female cadres. The head of the party committee and unit commander should periodically listen to reports proposals of political authorities and cadres in charge of women's work, and have close directions on this work; thoroughly grasp and apply regulations on functions and tasks of mass affairs departments and boards in accordance with the Regulations on women work in the Military and the Charter of the Vietnam Women's Union. Promote the role of political agencies, mass affairs departments, and cadres in charge of women work in researching, advising, directing and guiding the work of the Association and women movement. Strengthen coordination with military and civilian mass organisations to make sure that the activities of the associations at all levels are always in accordance with their functions and tasks.

2. Effectively implementing emulation movements and campaigns launched by the Party, State, Military and Central Union in association with the Emulation and Determination movements of the units. Effectively conduct propaganda and education to make cadres and members aware of the position, meaning and objectives of emulation movements and campaigns. Foster the affection, responsibility, will, determination, aspiration to dedicate, overcome difficulties and hardships, and strive to fulfill well the goals and targets of emulation. Launch and well implement the movement of “Intelligent and brave military women fulfilling their duties well, building a happy family, and deserving the title of Uncle Ho's soldiers in the new period” associated with promoting the studying and following of Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and style, the Campaign to promote tradition, dedicate talents, deserve to be “Uncle Ho's soldiers” in the new period. Persuade cadres and members of the union to practise and strive for the new-era-women criteria of “Intelligence, courage, discipline and compassion”, creating motivation to successfully fulfill the emulation targets and perform political tasks of agencies and units. Continue to implement the “Four Goods” criterion of Military Women; practise the qualities of “Self-confidence, Self-respect, Loyalty, Versatility”, the campaign of “Building a family of 5 nos, 3 cleans”, “Women help each other in economic development”, “Women preserve and promote the good values of Vietnamese family”,... launched by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union.

3. Supporting female cadres and members of the union to develop their household economy, nurture and promote the good values of Vietnamese family, and build a happy family. Party committees and commanders at all levels regularly direct women's unions at all levels to manage and use the defence-supported fund effectively; mobilise legal resources inside and outside the unit to support and help women of extremely difficult circumstances. At the same time, promote the core role of cadres and members to preserve and promote the good values of the Vietnamese family, build happy families; respond to and implement the movement of “Women nurturing good values of Vietnamese families”. Promote the movement of “Women helping each other develop family economy”; encourage the models of “saving groups”, “saving day for disadvantaged women”. Closely coordinate with the Committees for population, family and children at all levels and mass organisations to well conduct propaganda and health check for women; implement the Ordinance on population and family planning; measures for disease prevention and control; measures for preventing and combating social evils against women and children; counter gender discrimination and selection which break the gender balance among newborns. Actively participate in and effectively implement the movement of “The Military join hands for the poor - leaving no one behind”, “All people unite to build cultural life”; well organise activities “Women accompany borderline women” and social policy activities, environmental protection, etc.

4. Building and consolidating the Women's Union strong, meeting the requirements and tasks in the new situation. Practice shows that where cadres and organisations of the Women's Unions at all levels are regularly consolidated and strengthened, there women work and women movement are increasingly developed and meet the requirements and tasks well. Therefore, paying attention to the grassroots, focusing on building, consolidating, and fostering a contingent of cadres in charge of women work and cadres of the Union is a very important content in the implementation of each political task, agencies and units. To do that, it is necessary to opportunely study, amend and supplement the Regulations on women work in the Vietnam People's Army; maintain the operations of women's organisations in accordance with regulations. Timely advise and propose to Party committees and commanders to create conditions for women to study, train and access modern information technology. Foster and cultivate the quality and capacity of the full-time union cadres in order to improve the quality of women's work and Military women's movement to meet the requirements of tasks in the new situation.

With the spirit of “Solidarity, intelligence, courage, democracy, development”, in the period of 2021 - 2026, Military Women are determined to join hands with women across the country to strive to successfully implement the Resolution of the 13^th National Congress of the Party; build strong unions, build pure and strong party organisations, all-strong and “typical and exemplary” agencies and units, making women's work and the Military women's movement increasingly developed, contributing to the cause of Military construction and firmly defending the Socialist Vietnam Fatherland.

Senior Colonel, Dr PHUNG THI PHU, Head of the Military Women's Department