Women’s entrepreneurship movement in Tuyen Quang

Thanks to the effective implementation of Project No. 939 on “Supporting Women’s Startups for the 2017–2025 period,” the women’s entrepreneurship movement in Tuyen Quang Province has spread widely. Many women have confidently transformed production models, established cooperatives and enterprises, created jobs for other women, contributed to local socio-economic development, and affirmed their roles in the integration era.

Ma Thi Nhuong, Director of Truong Giang Cooperative, inspects the quality of clean chili products for the market.

In Trung Son Commune, Ma Thi Nhuong stands out as a shining example of the “saying goes with doing” spirit. She founded Truong Giang High-Quality Agricultural Cooperative with 28 members and mobilized over 80 female union members to participate in the production linkage chain.

Nhuong boldly applied 100% biological products in farming, expanded the material area to over 15 hectares, adopted digital transformation tools, used QR codes for traceability, and promoted products on e-commerce platforms. The cooperative earns about VND1.8 billion in annual revenue, helping 12 member families escape poverty.

“For me, starting a business is not just about making money, it’s a way for women to gain confidence, to dare to think, to act, and to believe they can change their lives with their own hands,” Nhuong shared.

Born and raised in Sa Phin, Vang Thi Cau, an ethnic Mong woman, had a harsh childhood. As the eldest of many siblings, she stayed home to care for her brothers and sisters while others went to school. She only began first grade at 17.

Through perseverance and support policies for ethnic minority students, she earned her university degree in 2013 at the age of 39. With education came ambition, not just to escape poverty but to prosper in her homeland.

In 2017, she founded Sa Phin A General Agroforestry Service Cooperative, producing handwoven linen fabrics from natural flax fibers, turning the H’mong traditional craft into an economic model.

Her cooperative won national prizes at the “Women’s Startup Day” contests in 2018 and 2019. She has opened 40 vocational classes for over 1,400 women, created stable jobs for 135 female workers earning VND3 – VND5 million per month, established a fund to support disadvantaged women, sponsored three orphans, and helped victims of domestic violence and human trafficking reintegrate and find employment locally.

Similarly, La Thi That from Tho Binh 2 Hamlet, Binh Xa Commune, represents rural women confidently engaging in economic development. From difficult beginnings, she built a 12-hectare integrated farm growing oranges, pomelos, and plums while raising free-range chickens and fish. Her model now generates more than VND800 million annually and provides stable jobs for seven local women.

Vang Thi Cau, Chairwoman of the Sa Phin Commune Women’s Union and founder of Sa Phin A Cooperative, carefully weaves flax fabric.

Stories like those of Nhuong, Cau, and That reflect the growing and vibrant women’s entrepreneurship movement across Tuyen Quang, backed by the Women’s Union.

According to the Provincial Women’s Union, over the past eight years, the organization has supported the establishment of 21 cooperatives, 38 partnerships, and 548 women-led economic groups, as well as 62 interest-based clubs across the province. Twelve “Women’s Startup Idea” contests have attracted over 100 innovative projects, earning one second prize, two regional prizes, and four national prizes.

Beyond funding and mentorship, the Union regularly organizes training courses on entrepreneurship, financial management, and digital skills. Ethnic minority women are now promoting their products online, selling via social media, and using QR codes for traceability, gradually joining the digital transformation wave in rural areas.

As of August 2025, total outstanding loans managed by the Women’s Union exceed VND2.85 trillion from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, along with hundreds of billions from various support funds, helping tens of thousands of women develop production and lift themselves out of poverty.

According to Phan Thi Minh Tam, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial Women’s Union, implementing Project 939 has been “a journey affirming the position, capability, and resilience of Tuyen Quang women in socio-economic development.” She noted that rural and ethnic minority women are becoming increasingly confident, proactive, and creative in pursuing new opportunities through their own efforts.

Looking ahead, the Women’s Union will continue to accompany women in entrepreneurship, focusing on green transition, digital transformation, community-based tourism, and OCOP product development, thereby unlocking potential, promoting strengths, and enhancing women’s roles in the province’s sustainable development journey.

Mai Dung