Huổi Ho village, about eight kilometers from the center of Mường Pồn commune, Điện Biên province is home to 44 Hmông households with nearly 350 residents. In the past, women there, though hardworking and capable, were often considered voiceless, confined to household chores and farm work, while bearing invisible burdens. Such discrimination created a vicious cycle of social problems: child marriage, consanguineous marriage, school dropouts, mostly girls, domestic violence, poverty, and tragically, even suicides by poisonous leaves.

According to Vừ Thị Sùng, Vice Chairwoman of the commune Fatherland Front Committee and Chairwoman of the Women’s Union, Huổi Ho once witnessed two young women end their lives due to family conflicts. In 2022 alone, the village recorded 11 cases of child and consanguineous marriage and seven children, mostly girls, forced to quit school to help at home or marry early.

With the primary goal of raising awareness about gender equality, in 2022, the Huổi Ho Community Communication Group under Project 8 was established. The group includes eight respected community members such as the Party cell secretary, village head, and representatives of mass organizations. Party cell secretary Lý A Xá noted that a key strength of the model lies in the active participation of men. Of the eight founding members, seven are men who, using their credibility and communicating in the local language, spoke directly with households about breaking gender stereotypes in housework, preventing child marriage and consanguineous marriage. To date, the group has organized five major communication events attracting nearly 300 participants and 30 small group sessions with over 200 attendees.

Thanks to these efforts, Huổi Ho has seen positive change. Where women once had no voice, girls dropped out of school and men dismissed household chores as “women’s work,” today there are no longer cases of child or consanguineous marriage. Women have been empowered and participate more actively in production, while membership in the Women’s Union has risen from 29 in 2022 to 45 in 2025, showing their growing role in community activities.

While the “Community Communication Group” aims to eliminate gender stereotypes, customs, and practices harmful to women and children, the “Trusted Address” model of Project 8 focuses on preventing and addressing domestic violence. In Tìa Ló B village, Pu Nhi commune, the model was launched in 2022 with five members, three men and two women. With over 400 residents, more than 70 percent of them women, raising awareness of gender equality has been especially critical. Alongside counseling and mediating family disputes, members have taken practical steps to make the model effective.

Lầu Thị Xía, Head of the Women’s Union in Tìa Ló B and a member of the “Trusted Address,” shared that after the model was established, male members set an example by practicing gender equality in their own homes, sharing housework with their wives and encouraging women to take part in social activities. These small but meaningful actions spread positive values throughout the village, gradually breaking down entrenched stereotypes. As a result, minor domestic conflicts have decreased significantly, and cases of domestic violence are virtually nonexistent.

Project 8, “Promoting Gender Equality and Addressing Urgent Issues for Women and Children,” is one of ten subprojects under the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for 2021-2025. In Điện Biên Province, after five years of implementation, Project 8 has established 540 community communication groups with nearly 4,800 members, produced 35 television programs and 15 communication videos, and set up 50 “Trusted Addresses” to protect women.

By sowing confidence, nurturing aspirations, and driving change in the “mindset and practice” of women in remote areas, Project 8 has brought about meaningful outcomes. It is regarded as a crucial step forward in eliminating gender stereotypes and roles, creating safe living environments for women and children, and enabling women to rise and affirm their position within their families and in society.