A discussion about the vital role of the Da Nang Women's Union in ensuring the city’s food safety and hygiene, and in implementing local social welfare programmes, took place in the city on Wednesday.

Chairman Tho at the meeting

A spokesperson for the Department of Health proposed that the Union should encourage its members to develop a safe food supply chain, with a focus on opening shops selling organic and safe agricultural products for local customers.  The intention would be to ensure a consumer market for local agricultural products and effectively manage the quality of such products.

Municipal People’s Committee (PC) Vice Chairman Dang Viet Dung urged the Union to cooperate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to create more organic vegetable growing areas across the city.  The aim is to ensure sufficient supplies of organic products for local customers, and create more job opportunities for local women.

In addition, Mr Dung stressed the need for the Union to create favourable conditions for local women who are selling street food in the city, and to develop more cuisine areas offering professional eating and drinking services.  He explained, “This will help to effectively manage the quality of local food safety, enhance the business capacity of food trading establishments, and promote local urban civilisation”.

PC Chairman Huynh Duc Tho asked the Union to raise public awareness about the significance of selling safe food amongst local traders, and honour those offering safe food and civilised behaviour to local customers.

Mr Tho also praised the Union for its great efforts over recent years in preventing domestic violence against women and girls, and educating local juvenile offenders.  He urged the unit to further promote its strengths and join efforts with the city authorities to effectively implement local social welfare programmes in the years ahead.

Also at the event, the union proposed the establishment of an Employment Service Centre operating under its management.  The new centre will offer vocational training courses for local women, provide employment consultancy services for female job seekers, and introduce job opportunities for them.

Mr Tho agreed with the union’s recommendation, and he hoped the soon-to-be-established centre would help the city eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, as well as lift poor women employees out of poverty.

The city leader also approved an annual grant of 30 million VND to each women’s organisation in local wards and communes instead of the current 20 million VND.