Quang Nam: Establishment of Women with Disabilities Club in Duy Xuyen District

In the afternoon of March 21 2022, at the Cultural center of Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, the Organization of Persons with Blindness and Disabilities of Duy Xuyen district and ACDC (Action to the Community Development Institute) organized a ceremony for the establishment of Duy Xuyen’s Women with Disabilities Club. This is an activity in the Inclusion and Independent Living (Inclusion I) project funded by USAID.

There were important representatives at the ceremony including Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh - Director of ACDC, Mr. Hua Quoc Dung - Chairman of Quang Nam province Association of People with Disabilities, Mr. Nguyễn Văn Quang – Vice Chairman of Quang Nam province Association of People with Disabilities, Mr. Nguyen Van Dinh – Chairman of Duy Xuyen district’s the Organization of Persons with Blindness and Disabilities, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu – Head of Da Nang city Women with Disabilities Club, local news agencies and departments’ officers, together with the attendance of more than 30 members of the Club.

The Club is expected to help women with disabilites in the area raise their voices and to become “the second home” where they not only gather and share their thoughts and desires, but also obtain new knowledge and skills. The club will also made its members be close to each other and more confident in sharing their stories with core members. Their thoughts and desires will be received and supported. At its monthly meetings, the Club will organize a number of meaningful activities for its members such as celebrations of Vietnamese Women’s Day, Vietnam Day of persons with disabilities, etc and update the Party and State’s new guidelines and policies. The members could also gain information about sexual violence against women with disabilities thereby making recommendations to mitigate this situation.  Particularly, in cases of experiencing sexual violence, the Club would provide them with peer counselling in addition to connecting with local authorities involved in the support network for women of disabilities for timely assistance.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha, a Club’s member said: “I am happy to join and to become a member of Duy Xuyen Women with Disabilites Club. The club’s establishment would provide local women with disabilities with positive support. It is expected to be a useful playground where we can share happiness and sadness, and help each other”.

Duy Xuyen district’s Women of Disabilities Club is promising to bring positive support to the women with disabilities in the area in particular and to Vietnam’s Disability community in general.