Hanoi (VNA) - Women and children in remote areas still live in difficulty. A lot of women are constrained by social norms and cannot pursue their dreams. Worse still, many kids do not go to school due to family poverty.
Guest speakers at a roundtable discussion entitled “Escaping the mist” on women and children in remote areas. (Photo: Vietnam+) Child marriage in secondary school is among the many reasons for gender-based violence and poverty.
The Vietnam Women’s Union has been implementing projects to respond to practices that hinder women’s development and have serious consequences to society, including gender-based stereotypes, child marriage and consanguine marriage.
The aforementioned information was raised at the roundtable discussion “Escaping the Mist” co-organized by Vietnam Women’s Museum (under the management of Vietnam Women’s Union) and Vietnam Prosperity Development Group Company Limited.
The “mist” in the roundtable discussion’s theme resembles hardships, stereotypes and social norms facing women in remote areas. They prevent women from pursuing their dreams and seeking happiness.
Guest speakers include Ma Thi Di and her mother Chau Thi Say, two main characters in Director Ha Le Diem’s Oscar-nominated documentary “Children of the Mist” (known in Vietnamese as ‘Những đứa Trẻ Trong Sương’). The documentary follows a 12-year-old H’mong girl named Di, who resisted her people’s custom of “bride-napping”.
Di shares stories about the life of women and children in remote mountainous areas. (Photo: Vietnam+) At the event, Ma Thi Di revealed a bitter truth that women in remote areas are now vulnerable to domestic violence and human trafficking.
“Back where I am from, a lot of women and young girls are smuggled. Some are deceived as they try to escape domestic violence, some are deceived by their own boyfriends,” Di said.
Many young girls at her age are bride-napped, forced to get married by their parents and do not yet have a proper education, she added.
However, the picture is not all gloomy. Also according to Di, the lives of women in remote areas have been improving. “A lot of people now work as tour guides, open a homestay to communicate with tourists, learn English and open English classes. Many are brave enough to go out and experience contemporary life.”
Di said, although she is married now, she still wants to go back to school and capture her dream.
Speaking at the roundtable, Ton Ngoc Hanh, Deputy Chairwoman of Vietnam Women’s Union hailed Di’s efforts, saying that she is a good example for women who want to change their mindset toward finding a better life. She has dreams and knows how to teach her kids to lead a better life, Hanh said.
Deputy Chairwoman of Vietnam Women’s Union Ton Ngoc Hanh speaks at the roundtable discussion (Photo: Vietnam+) Vietnam Women’s Union has been implementing assistance programs with four approaches, (1) altering gender stereotypes and harmful social practices and norms, including child marriage and consanguine marriage (2) improving livelihoods (3), establishing clubs as cultural exchange platforms between different ethnic groups and (4), gender-based skills training./.
| “Escaping the Mist” roundtable discussion is part of the Project “Gender equality and solving urgent issues facing women and children”. It is under the national target program for socioeconomic development among ethnic minorities groups and mountainous areas for 2021-2030 period. |
