A Study on Intra-Household Gender Relations of Ethnic Minorities in Northern Vietnam

Vietnam is divided into three large regions: the northern region, the central region and the southern region. Within each of the three regions, there are subregions. The Northern region includes 2 subregions namely, Red River Delta and Northern Midlands and Mountain Area. The latter is defined as including 14 provinces: Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, Bac Giang, Phu Tho, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Son La, and Hoa Binh with diversity in population. This Northern Midlands and Mountain Area or the Northern Mountainous Area of 14 provinces encompasses over 90,000 km2, accounting for almost one third of the country’s area and is home to approximately 11.7 million people, including 31 of the officially recognized 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. Rocky mountains with high terrain and steepness are main characteristics of the region. As a result, the population density is just 122 people per km2, well below to the national average density of 274 people per km2. The region therefore is diverse in terms of ecology, area, population and cultures. Ethnic minorities are concentrated in upland and mountainous areas where access to infrastructure or health and educational facilities is limited and they are much poorer than other groups. They are among the poorest groups residing in Northern Vietnam. Being physically, economically, and culturally isolated from the rest of the nation, these groups are the most neglected and traditional, while benefit the least from the development process of Vietnam brought about by the reform program. Among them, women are the poorest and most disadvantaged. New changes and challenges brought about by the reform program of Vietnam in the late 1980s have put the women of these groups, who were originally disadvantaged and less productive, to a more disadvantaged position. Increased excessive workload as well as access to and control over resources are among the factors that reduce opportunities for building women's capacities and hinder their advancement. Before 1980s, gender inequality in Vietnam is often attributed to the Confucian traditional view on women's and men's role. Traditional women use the whole life to serve for their husband and sons. In the period of collectivization the traditional norms on gender relations were challenged both in ideology and in practice. Women were mobilized to contribute to the American war by stepping up production and running family affair, and to show their responsibility for national defense. In the period of 1980s and onward, the intra-household gender relations have been changed on the basis of the combination of traditional gender norms, residual of socialist ideology, and new socio-economic reform policies. The roles of social expectation on men's and women's "proper" sphere have been redefined and provide ideological ground to bargain a solution. Most ethnic minority groups operate under a patriarchal system, which does not give women the right to participate in the decision making process in their families and communities. Due to the influence of patriarchy, they have a strong boy-preference because of the requirement of husband's family after woman's marriage to take care of her parents-in-law until they pass away. In addition, the social security system for the elderly is still lacking in Vietnam Therefore, married women are required to have a son, and this fact leads to a number of issues such as abortions and an imbalance of sex ratio at birth. Vietnamese government has diversified policies focusing on ethnic minority development in rural and remote areas. These policies were concretized by many poverty reduction programs for specific targeted poor household groups and regions, such as Program Program 135 and Program 30a with the aim of improving the living conditions of ethnic minorities; Program 132 and Program 134 which targeted mainly at the Central Highlands to increase access to land and improve housing condition;