The festival of “healthcare for workers” has just been organized by Marie Stopes International (MSI) in Vietnam at Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in Thuan An town. With good preparation, the festival actually brought joys and practical benefits to laborers, especially female ones.
Tran Ha Mong Ngoc, Director of the Program on Corporate Social Responsibility under MSI in Vietnam said that this was one of activities with the goal of improving socio-economic welfare and other incentives for women by getting access to information and reproductive healthcare services under the frame of the project 1796.
It is known that 1796 is the abbreviation of the Binh Duong provincial Project “Handing over authority and improving immigrant women’s socio-economic position through strengthening approach to hi-quality reproductive healthcare services” established in July 2013 under the financial sponsor of European Union. The project is implemented by MSI in Vietnam, the Community Health Centers and the Departments of Health of Binh Duong, Dong Nai within 3 years from 2013 to 2015.
One of the festival’s good impressions was a traditional booth with “eye-catching” props and photos. Many booths for entertainment with interesting games such as arrow-throwing, ring-throwing… with clever education on reproductive health, sex and other gender issues also brought joys to participants.
The festival sped up dissemination of information about contraceptive measures, sexually-transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy, gender and the Law on Gender Equality. With the above activities, young people had a chance to play after hard working days and were equipped with necessary knowledge on gender when coming to the event.
Nguyen Thi Mai, a staff of King Maker Co. said: “I and many other workers like participating games at the festival very much because of not only being received gifts and but widening our knowledge”. Initially, most company staff felt very shy when seeing condoms and other props pertaining to reproductive health, but then they knew more about their delicate issues when being consulted by the organizers.
The festivak also took place with many other significant healthcare activities organized by Marie Stopes Clinic and Blue Star Clinic, including giving medical consultancy, examination & treatment and medicine for female workers. Doan Minh Chau, a coordinator of the Blue Star project in seven provinces and cities nationwide added: “There are 800 female workers registering for healthcare by us. It is expected that the figure will exceed over 900. We will provide free reproductive healthcare services for female workers for 3 days, from November 27 to 30”.
Reported by Tam Trang-Translated by K.T
