Support women to improve cooperative management capacity

(GLO)- The 2023 Law on Cooperatives opens up many opportunities but also requires higher management skills. Women who own or participate in the management of cooperatives have both the opportunity to assert their role and face many difficulties.

With the proactive support of women's associations at all levels, women gradually improve their management capacity and keep up with the digital transformation trend.

Existing difficulties

In Gia Lai, more and more women are participating in the management and operation of cooperatives, especially in the fields of agriculture , handicrafts, and processing of local specialties.

However, most women still face many difficulties such as lack of capital, lack of planning skills, limitations in human resource management and are even more confused when entering the field of brand building and market access.

An Toan Agricultural Medicine and General Service Cooperative (An Toan commune) focuses on promoting medicinal herbs and agricultural products in the highlands. Photo: DNCC

Ms. Mai Thi My Lam - Director of An Toan Agricultural and General Service Cooperative (An Toan commune) shared: The biggest concern now is how to both promote the strengths of local products and meet the strict requirements of the modern market.

Traditional production habits of ethnic minorities are not yet associated with quality standards, so the output for medicinal herbs and agricultural products in the highlands is limited, while capital and technology are not enough to invest in deep processing.

An Nhien Cooperative (Chu Krey commune) aims to improve and expand its brand in the coming time. Photo: DNCC

Meanwhile, according to Ms. Tran Thi Tam - Director of An Nhien Agricultural and Service Cooperative (Chu Krey commune), the Cooperative specializes in producing safe vegetables, tubers, fruits and food processing. Currently, the Cooperative has linked up with 45 farming households, supplying 1.5-2 tons of products to the market every day.

Thanks to the Provincial Cooperative Development Support Fund, the unit has invested in machinery and supported members to expand production. However, the constant difficulty is still mobilizing capital to maintain and develop stable operations.

“We expect to have more capital support programs, and to be connected with supermarket systems and e-commerce platforms to bring safe vegetables and fruits to a larger market,” said Ms. Tam.

Con Chim Xanh Trade & Service Cooperative (Tuy Phuoc Dong commune) develops community tourism towards environmental protection. Photo: H.D

For the Green Chim Trade & Service Cooperative (Tuy Phuoc Dong commune), Ms. Ho Thi Than Thuong - Director of the Cooperative - said that doing community tourism means having to invest a lot in infrastructure and services, but capital is still limited, and local human resources do not have much experience and skills in tourism.

In addition, image promotion and tourist attraction are still weak, and digital media channels or online platforms have not been effectively exploited.

Support and improve management capacity

To support cooperatives, the Provincial Women's Union has just organized a training course for nearly 200 union officials, members of cooperative management boards and cooperative groups with development potential. The content not only focused on introducing new points in the 2023 Cooperative Law, providing guidance on making production and business plans, but also emphasized the application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in management and marketing.

The training session on September 16 attracted a large number of women in charge of managing cooperatives. Photo: DVCC

After the training, Ms. Mai Thi My Lam learned how to manage the cooperative more scientifically , knew how to tell product stories associated with cultural and natural values, and began to get acquainted with digital tools and AI to serve management and marketing.

Meanwhile, Ms. Ho Thi Than Thuong hopes to participate in more training courses on management and communication skills, thereby both developing tourism services associated with promoting local products and spreading environmental protection activities such as collecting waste around the lagoon, a highlight that creates a sustainable image of the cooperative.

With the support of digital tools and AI, An Nhien Agricultural and Service Cooperative plans to apply it to packaging design, create communication content and promote products on online platforms. "We hope to have more preferential capital policies and market connection channels so that our safe vegetables, tubers and fruits can have a more solid foothold," Ms. Tam suggested.

According to Ms. Vu Thi Bich Ngoc - Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union, the Union has focused on equipping women with management skills, brand development, application of digital tools and AI. However, the biggest obstacles at present are still capital, unsystematic management skills and confusion in accessing the market.

“In the coming time, the Association will strengthen its role in connecting, organizing forums and seminars for female cooperative managers to have the opportunity to share experiences and learn from each other. Thereby, helping women confidently manage, develop brands, bring products to supermarkets, e-commerce platforms, and even aim for export, making practical contributions to local economic development,” Ms. Ngoc affirmed.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/ho-tro-phu-nu-nang-cao-nang-luc-quan-tri-hop-tac-xa-post567809.html