Once a week- or more often during local events- the women of Co Hắm hamlet in Nà Tấu commune gather at the community house at dawn to clean village roads and alleys. They divide into groups: some collect trash, others pull weeds or clear overgrown bushes along the roadside. Roads that were once muddy and overrun with weeds are now clean and airy, adorned with flower beds lovingly planted and tended by local women. The cheerful chatter and sound of sweeping brooms add warmth to the mountain mornings.

“Since we started doing this every week, our village looks completely different. Everyone’s more aware. If we see litter, we pick it up; if the grass grows tall, we clear it ourselves,” said Lò Thị Thích, a resident of Co Hắm.

According to Thích, when everyone works together, each person feels responsible for maintaining the shared environment. Even households that once paid little attention to sanitation have changed their habits, regularly cleaning their yards, sorting waste properly, and joining community clean-ups.

Thanks to the regular cleaning activities, Co Hắm’s appearance has greatly improved. Long-standing waste piles have been removed, drainage ditches cleared, and the community center kept spotless. Village roads are now maintained and beautified each month. Through these actions, local women have come to appreciate the value of the “3 cleans”: clean house, clean kitchen, and clean surroundings, forming a new, healthier lifestyle in every household.

Alongside promoting environmental awareness, women across the province have been active and creative contributors in various fields, from agriculture and industry to new rural development. They have played a key role in restructuring agriculture toward sustainability, adjusting crop schedules, and adopting more efficient, higher-quality production methods.

Women have also helped develop Điện Biên’s signature OCOP and safe agricultural products, such as Điện Biên rice, Tủa Chùa tea, Mường Ảng coffee, rubber, medicinal herbs, macadamia nuts, and fruit crops like pineapple and green-skin pomelo. By tapping into each region’s economic strengths, they are helping reduce poverty and build prosperity through legitimate means.

According to Pờ Diệu Ninh, Vice Chairwoman of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Committee of the province and the provincial Women’s Union, women have been central agents of change, creatively engaging in new rural development and sustainable poverty reduction programs. “The 5 no’s, 3 cleans movement has made a clear impact, transforming local lifestyles and habits”, she said. “Our members have led the way in keeping the environment clean, restructuring production, and improving household economies.”

Over the past 15 years, the provincial Women’s Union has developed numerous practical and locally tailored models, such as “Clean house - Beautiful gate,” “Clean fields, clean waste,” and “Hygienic toilets.” Other initiatives include waste sorting at the source and using IMO4 bio-products for composting.

Thanks to flexible implementation and broad communication efforts, the movement has achieved strong results. In 2024 alone, the provincial Women’s Union held 13 training sessions for 670 women on “5 no’s, 3 cleans,” food safety, and nutrition. Hundreds of village clean-up drives, drainage clearing, flower planting, and recycling-for-fundraising activities have been organized. The union’s communication network, from meetings, loudspeaker systems, and social media to the “Điện Biên Women” TV program, has helped spread the campaign widely and effectively.

As of March 2025, more than 80,000 households in Điện Biên province have met all eight “5 no’s, 3 cleans” criteria, contributing significantly to 23 communes achieving new rural standards, 28 nearing completion, and 3 recognized as advanced new rural communes (prior to the two-tier local government reform).

“The “5 no’s, 3 cleans” campaign has brought about positive change among women and families, aligning with 11 out of 19 new rural development criteria,” Ninh emphasized. “From 2026 to 2030, we will continue to deepen and enhance the program, integrating it closely with ongoing projects to maximize resources and ensure long-term impact. We’ll also renew our communication methods and highlight outstanding individuals and groups to inspire self-reliance, especially among ethnic minority women in remote and border areas.”