Huổi Ho is one of the six highland villages in Mường Mươn commune, where the population consists entirely of the H’Mong ethnic minority group. Life in this area has been challenging, with difficult transportation, uneven education levels, many illiterate individuals, and common occurrences of child marriage, home births, and school dropouts, especially among girls. However, significant changes have taken place in recent years. Messages about gender equality, empowering women and girls have gradually spread through community meetings, and women have become active contributors to the success of the village’s community communication team.

With the active participation of women in the village, the Huổi Ho community communication team has become a model for promoting gender equality over the past four years. The team, through five major communication activities and 30 small group sessions, has reached nearly 500 residents. These sessions have covered topics not only about household chores but also sensitive issues such as child marriage, suicide by toxic plants, and school dropouts among children in highland areas.

Mùa A Dơ, the community communication team leader, shared: “Initially, the villagers were reluctant and unfamiliar with new communication methods. But with easy-to-understand messages, the people have gradually embraced and actively participated. Beyond communication, we have gathered people who are willing to lead the change in habits, lifestyles, and traditional thinking. Both men and women are role models in sharing household chores, and men support their wives and children in social activities.”

From 2022 onwards, Huổi Ho has seen positive changes in the community’s awareness and actions. In 2022, the village had 7 school dropouts and 11 child marriages or consanguineous marriages. By 2025, these issues have been eradicated.

The members of the community communication team have focused on delivering information and leading by example in gender equality, sharing household duties, and encouraging participation in social activities. The communication and legal education about gender equality in Mường Chà has shown positive changes thanks to its integration into the Women’s Union activities. To date, the district has established 56 community communication teams with 427 members, of which 131 are women. These teams have organized 190 communication sessions, attracting 4,560 participants, focusing on practical issues such as preventing domestic violence, child marriage, and human trafficking.

During the “Action Month for Gender Equality and Prevention of Gender-Based Violence” (from November 15 to December 15 each year), the Women’s Union of the district and grassroots organizations held 10 communication campaigns, attracting 1,500 participants. The community communication teams continued to play a leading role, organizing 110 sessions with 1,260 participants. Currently, the district has 110 reconciliation teams with 605 members, including 126 women; 104 of these teams ensure gender balance in line with legal requirements, contributing to the effectiveness of gender equality work at the local level.

Đoàn Lan Phương, President of the Mường Chà Women’s Union, stated: “The empowerment of women in achieving gender equality has brought about many positive changes at the grassroots level. Women are not only actively involved in union work but also boldly speak up and contribute their opinions on community issues. The proactive involvement of women has helped eliminate gender stereotypes, build happy families, promote economic development, and improve the spiritual life of people in highland areas.”

The results achieved in promoting the role of women in Mường Chà show that gender equality is gradually becoming a reality in community life. The positive transformation from awareness to action, along with effective support from the Women’s Union, has contributed to building a fair and progressive society, laying a solid foundation for women in highland areas to continue to play their roles and assert their positions in both family and society.