Every child has the right to an equality in education regardless of gender or ethnicity; but in remote parts of Northern Laos traditional gender roles mean that many young girls miss out on the joy of learning. This is particularly true for children part of the Lu Mien ethnic group.
“I went to the Gender Club at my school, and I have learned that we are all the same, we are all humans. We should respect our friends’ opinions to make them feel comfortable in their place,” said Songkarn, one young Lu Mien girl.
In the Houaphanh Province in Northern Laos, gender equality in education is still a significant issue. Traditional gender roles are still firmly entrenched in daily life. Young girls are expected to stay home and help with the family chores while the boys go to school. For 13-year-old Songkarn, being able to go to school is a privilege and she is lucky that her parents are supportive of her attaining higher education.
Gender equity equality in education is about giving everyone the same opportunities and rights, regardless of what they look like, where they come from or how they choose to dress. But in many areas of Laos, prejudices and stereotypes are so deeply engrained in daily life, that it has prevented progress on gender equity.
“As the Lu Mien people, especially for women, if guests are coming to the house, the wife must stand as a servant and cannot sit and eat together with her husband and guests,” said San, one father in the community.
ChildFund in Laos worked with local partners in the Houaphanh Province to run training on gender equity and equality. Through these sessions, the families and young people learned more about breaking down traditional gender roles.
“There was more cooperation between genders in the community after the ChildFund project was introduced. Everyone comes together to help each other. Women can now stay and dine with their spouses and guests,” said San.
The Gender and Language Education for Ethnic Students’ Empowerment (GLEESE) Project hosts awareness-raising sessions on gender and girls’ education equality for communities and families to take part in and runs weekly gender sensitisation training for primary students. Both these activities encourage parents to send their girls to school.
“After learning more about gender and how it impacts our community, we now strongly encourage all our children to attend school, regardless of gender,” said San.
San said: “As a father, I do not force my children to do or be anything that I personally like. I support and encourage both my sons and my daughters to attend to school to get higher education if they can. I want to let them choose their own path when they grow up.”
Learn more about how ChildFund in Laos is working with local families and community partners to support girls from ethnic minorities to access an education.
You can also help to support gender equality in education, by signing up to donate monthly to children through ChildFund. You can start making a difference for 1,000 children now. With your help, many more children will be supported to go to school and to complete their education.
Thi is a confident young girl, passionate about child protection and keeping herself and her peers safe from violence. Unfortunately, in her community physical abuse as punishment is common.
“I have witnessed many acts of violence where I live. In the past, when I saw someone abusing children, I sometimes told my mother. Sometimes I didn’t do anything, or I just ignored it,” said Thi*.
ChildFund Vietnam worked with children and young people in the Hoa Binh Province to help them learn about child protection risks and how they can stay safe from different types of abuse. In one village a group of 30 young people are taking charge.
“I found out about the group about a year ago and I wanted to join because some of my friends were going to join too. I also wanted to learn more about how to protect myself and how to share this knowledge in front of a crowd. I could also play games about child protection that were extremely useful,” said Thi.
The group gathers once a month to learn about the risks of child abuse, can seek help when needed, and promote support among children. Thi likes to play – so learning about child protection through fun activities is exciting for her.
Together, Thi and her friends often come up with creative skits to perform at school assemblies and share what they have learned.
At the meetings, the youth take part in a wide range of activities including information sessions about child-protection, how to identify an unsafe situation at home and how to recognise different types of abuse and how to report it.
The group are guided by social workers and child protection workers from their communities. These meetings are an opportunity for children and young people to report any cases of physical abuse that they’ve seen or heard about. When a report is made, a child protection worker can plan a home visit and work together with the family to eliminate violence in the home.
“When joining the group, I learned to recognise different types of child abuse. Before, when I was scolded by my parents and teachers, I thought it was because I was at fault. During those times, I felt very sad and blamed myself. But after I joined the group, I realised that it’s not just hitting that counts as child abuse,” said Thi.
Thi is proud to be part of a group that is leading child protection initiatives in her community. Together, they can build a safer, healthier environment for themselves and their peers. She feels empowered with the knowledge to respond appropriately to incidents of physical abuse.
“If I encounter a case of child violence at school, I will notify the homeroom teacher and the school administration. In the community, I would report to a child protection worker, the commune chairman, the village head, the police, and the commune’s Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs officer. I can also call the national child helpline 111 to report the case,” said Thi.
Youth groups are vital to building safer communities for children and young people around Vietnam. Learn more about how ChildFund Vietnam works with communities and partners to build safer communities.
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
