Deeply imbued with President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings telling that “We women must clearly recognise the position and the duties of the owner of the country; establish a new determination, new ethics and new manners to fulfil our new duties, which is to deservedly contribute to the cause of socialism construction” and in the foundation of bringing into play Vietnamese Women’s “heroic, indomitable, faithful, and resourceful” tradition, Military Women have always heightened their sense of responsibility, self-reliance, industriousness, creativity, and enthusiasm to accomplish all assigned tasks.

With a fairly large force operating in most working fields and units throughout the Army, regardless of their positions or duties, military women show no hesitation to difficulties and hardships and constantly strive for progress to accomplish all tasks assigned by the party, the State and the Army. In line with accepting and accomplishing all assigned political tasks, Military Women also fulfil their natural duties as women who maintain happiness and act as a solid rear; they always deserve the motto “Good at national affairs, dutiful at domestic chores” and noble qualities of “patriotism, solidarity, creativity, faithfulness, and resourcefulness” awarded by the Central Military Commission.

Given the requirements of building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and increasingly modernised Army, taking political strength and the criteria and standards of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” as the foundation, the five-year Action Programme of the Military Women (from 2021 to 2026) determines to build Military Women “intelligent, courageous, disciplinary, and altruistic” to deserve “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new period and Vietnamese women in the new era.

“Intelligent” women in the Army are required to have civility, scientific knowledge, military qualification, competence, good working methods and manners, and health to satisfy all task requirements; build cosy, progressive, happy, and civilised families. To that end, it is necessary for each cadre and member of the Military women to actively study and train to enhance their qualifications in politics, culture, science and technique, foreign languages, computer skills, and essential skills, especially in terms of military and national defence; form good theoretical thinking and practical organisational competence; have a profound understanding of targets and partners and combat targets of the Army. Focus should be placed on training and forming professional, serious, and responsible working styles and methods; bringing into play the potential, creativity, and high work efficiency to make a deserved contribution to women’s emulation movements and the accomplishment of all political tasks in each agency and unit. The application of information technology should be accelerated to improve the effectiveness of Women’s Unions. Simultaneously, they should ensure stringent compliance with regulations on workplace culture and constantly cultivate and train to perfect the personalities of revolutionary service members with the values of goodness, righteousness, and beauty. It is necessary to regularly and actively enhance their knowledge and skills in organising family life to build families of  “5 no, 3 clean” and gain the “Civilised family” title.

General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defence, awards Military Women at the 12th Military Women Congress

Courage, perseverance, indomitability, daring to think, do what one believes in, encounter challenges, and readily shoulder responsibility in performing tasks are the “zeal” of female service members – “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”. This important criterion is the measure of results in studying and following Uncle Ho’s teachings. Thus, each cadre and member of Women’s Unions in the Army is required to strive and train solid political zeal, pure motive, and a high sense of responsibility. Absolute loyalty to the Party, the Fatherland, and the People should be built so that they can be ready to sacrifice for national independence and socialism and for the cause of national construction and defence. Importance should be attached to the consistency in Marxism – Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts; preventing and driving back “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the Party; actively fighting to protect the Party’s ideological foundation. They should possess a high determination to fight, sacrifice, overcome all difficulties and hardships, and readily accept and accomplish all assigned tasks. In daily life and work, they must be a model of ethics and lifestyles; industry, thrifty, integrity, righteousness, public-mindedness, and impartiality; truthfulness, modesty, sincerity, and optimism. They must be strict with themselves and ready to sacrifice their interests for the interests of their units, the people and the country. It is necessary to maintain the Party’s leadership principles, respect and listen to opinions with a progressive spirit.

To constantly enhance the power of the Army, strict implementation of regulation and discipline is one of the essential requirements since discipline is the power of the Army. This is a mandatory requirement for all service members and female service members are no exception. Therefore, in any conditions or circumstances, each cadre and member of Women’s Unions in the Army is required to voluntarily train and prioritise “discipline”. This criterion manifests the particularity of female military members in comparison with those in the Vietnam Women’s Union. To fulfil the criterion of discipline as well as to satisfy the requirements on law enforcement and strict discipline, each member of Women’s Unions in the Army should actively grasp the content and knowledge of law and discipline; voluntarily observe the State’s Laws, the Army’s Regulation, rules, and discipline, higher echelons’ directives, units’ working and training regime and regulations at residency and community activities. They should constantly forge discipline and regular conduct in the Army. At the same time, it is necessary to stringently perform Regulations on Grass-roots Democracy; bring into play the democracy of mass organisation and Military Members’ Council for military, politics, and socio-economy.

“For the people” – The viewpoint of President Ho Chi Minh has become a lofty philosophy deriving from traditional values of the country, humankind and the era. This is also the most complete and profound definition of “humanity”. Learning from Uncle Ho, each cadre and member of the Women’s Union in the Army is required to heighten their spirit of solidarity and mutual love and the motto “one for all” through practical activities. It is necessary to regularly maintain solidarity and unity; love and assist other comrades; maintain a harmonious relationship in daily life as well as in combat; meanwhile, indifference, apathy and irresponsibility toward other comrades. Particularly, they should adhere to the viewpoint of being close to the people, respecting the people, trusting in the people and being ready to sacrifice for the people. They should also bring into play Vietnamese women’s traditions of “Faithfulness and resourcefulness”; actively organise and participate in “repaying debts of gratitude” activities, “humanitarianism and charity” activities, and activities aiding women and children in difficult circumstances; emulation movements such as “The Army unite to build new-style rural and civilised urban areas” and “The Army join hand for the underprivileged – Leaving no one behind”; and programmes such as “Accompanying women in border areas” in the 2021-2025 period and “Godmother” initiated by the Central Committee of Vietnam Women’s Union. Simultaneously, they should uphold pure, loyal, and sincere international spirit; actively promote Vietnam’s culture and tourism, participate in the UN Peacekeeping activities, share experience and achievements of Vietnam and the contribution of Vietnam in traditional and non-traditional security areas; resolutely fight against activities that undermine the national unity bloc and international solidarity.

Along with the self-discipline and the effort of members of the Women’s Union in the Army according to the following criteria: "Intelligence, courageous, discipline and altruism" to deserve "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" title and Vietnamese women in the new era, It is required that party committees, commands and women's organisations at all levels throughout the army must accelerate propagation and education for female cadres and members about the Party’s guidelines and viewpoints, the State’s policies and laws; fine traditions of the Army, Vietnamese women and women in the Army; Ho Chi Minh's thoughts, ethics, and manners; women’s moral qualities such as "Confidence, self-respect, faithfulness and resourcefulness" in the period of accelerating national industrialisation and modernisation. During the implementation process, it is necessary to renovate education and propagation forms and methods to ensure effectiveness; regularly develop and duplicate typical models and examples of good people and good deeds in maintaining, promoting, and forging Vietnamese women’s lofty qualities in studying and following Uncle Ho’s teaching. Importance should also be attached to implement the emulation movement entitled "The Military Women with intelligence and courage accomplish the task of building a happy family to deserve "Uncle Ho's soldiers" title in the new period" in conjunction with promoting studying and following Ho Chi Minh's thoughts, ethics, and manners and the Determine-to-win movement at agencies and units with appropriate and highly feasible criteria and measures. This is considered a positive measure to constantly cultivate and practice their political zeal, sense of responsibility, moral qualities and lifestyle for each cadre and member, which contributes to the building of strong Women's Unions. Annually, members of the Women’s Unions in the Army must pledge to strive and meet the standards of emulation movements; criteria of Military women in the new era. Simultaneously, it is important to actively research, develop and apply appropriate models, especially models that improve working styles, practice thrifty in accordance with Uncle Ho, and forge moral qualities and build Vietnamese women in the new era. Leaders, commanders and organisations should regularly intensify inspection and supervision, timely hold after-action reviews, and adjust forms and methods to create synergy so that cadres and members of Women’s Unions in the Army can bring into play the lofty qualities of Vietnamese women in general and female military members in particular to deserve the “fire-keeper” in each family and contribute to the cause of national construction and defence in the new period.

Senior colonel, Dr. PHUNG THI PHU, Head of Military Women Department