How to use a Mac Mini M1 with a VGA monitor?

I need to use my Mac with an old AOC 2236Swa, which only has a VGA port. To do this, I have a noname HDMI (male) to VGA (female) converter, which works fine with other computers. After I turn my Mac on, the monitor keeps alternating between standby mode and "No signal" message. The strange thing is, once I hold down the computer's power button to turn it off, suddenly the "Are you sure you want to shut down your computer now?" dialog appears, but by then it is too late to cancel it using the keyboard/mouse and it shuts down. This strange behavior makes me think it is only a software problem (presumably some utility prevents from properly connecting to the monitor and is shut down before the dialog is displayed). Is there some setting which I need to change to be able to use the monitor? Thank you.