Renewing travel exhibition approach to reach VWU members
Under the leadership of the Presidium of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Central Committee, the Vietnamese Women’s Museum (VWM) has over the past years made strong steps of developments, actively contributing to fulfilling the political task of the VWU and the country and the task of communication and education of patriotism, national pride and fine cultural traditions to people of all strata in general and VWU members in particular.
The renovation of the Vietnamese Women’s Museum has shown in the compressive change of its activities. With its targets of outreaching and accessing VWU members at all levels, the VWM has carried out communication activities under many forms: building a contingent of qualified narrators to serve groups of visitors; developing communication materials such as leaflets and brochures; sending official letters to Women’s Union organizations at different levels across the country informing them about the Museum’s activities; updating information on its Website and on the VWU’s Website; writing articles to be carried on Vietnam Women’s Newspaper on the occasions of major anniversaries and opening a section on life stories of artifacts, etc.
Besides, the VWM also serves as an effective communication channel for the Vietnam Women’s Union. Its renewed activities always target the grassroots level to contribute to disseminating State policies and laws. VWM travel exhibitions have been taken to remote areas. In the last two years, dozens of travel exhibitions have been organized by VWM in Hanoi, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Bac Ninh… under different themes such as “President Ho Chi Minh and the cause of women’s emancipation”, “Stories of single mothers from Tan Minh”, “Peaceful Place”, “Smiling tears” etc. The exhibitions have attracted more than 200,000 visitors, contributing to communication and education on the role and position of Vietnam Women’s Union in the cause of national construction and gender equality for social development and enhancement of Vietnamese women’s status.
Visiting Exhibition “Smiling Tears” in Bac Ninh province, April 2014
Following the guidelines of the Vietnam Women’s Union, as from this year, the Vietnamese Women’s Museum will focus on and promote information, communication, and education (IEC) for VWU members. Not only organizing exhibitions but a new feature in its renovation is also that travel exhibitions will be accompanied by training workshops and seminars at different Women’s Union levels. In particular, the VWM will focus on the Movement “Building 5 Nos, 3 Cleans Families” – a key task of the Vietnam Women’s Union in its 2012 – 2017 Term in general and in 2014 in particular.
Based on the Movement “5 Nos” – No violation of laws and social evils, No domestic violence, No third childbirth, No malnourished children, and No school dropouts; and “3 cleans” – Clean home, Clean alley, and Clean kitchen, the VWM, based on its research study on domestic violence and stories told by victims of domestic violence at the Peaceful Shelter organized the travel exhibition “Smiling Tears” and taken it to many provinces in the country. Through taking travel exhibitions to different localities, the VWM has received positive feedbacks from VWU members. Most of women visitors commented that the exhibition is easy to understand and remember with many emotional stories. What is most important is that the exhibition helped women to be aware of the fact that here and there in urban and rural areas, there remains domestic violence, and if women are not strong and resolute in defending themselves, it is hard to escape the dark tunnel.
Along with the exhibition “Smiling Tears”, the VWM will soon take the exhibition “Green Life” to women in different parts of the country. This exhibition is an activity in the framework of the Project “Capacity building for the community in Hanoi” jointly organized by the VWM and the Action Centre for City Development (ACCD). The exhibition displays more than 70 photos and some artifacts under the project jointly implemented by a Vietnamese NGO and an Irish NGO to support city people to practice a green lifestyle and honor efforts to build a sustainable lifestyle of Green Life members.
With correct orientation for renovation, it is hoped that in the near future, the VWM will fulfill its IEC functions and help preserve and develop the cultural and historical heritage of Vietnamese women, contributing to building a new style man in the time of national industrialization and modernization.
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