Women's rights training and girls' clubs in schools

ActionAid began work in Vietnam in 1989. Our work is focused on supporting women's rights, tackling hunger and helping provide quality education for children in Vietnam. Nearly one in seven women work in informal labour, with few rights. Domestic violence rates are high, with three out of five women experiencing some form of violence in their lifetime from their partner. One in 10 girls is married by their 18th birthday. ActionAid staff deliver training in women’s rights to local communities across the country and we support them to lobby their own government for change. They also run girls’ clubs in schools where girls can learn about their bodies and empower them to understand and assert their rights to have an education, live free from violence and marry if, who and when they want. Women and girls in Vietnam are responsible for almost all the household tasks, from cleaning to cooking and growing food. This unpaid labour is rarely acknowledged as ‘real’ work and girls often miss out on studying and playing in order to help their mothers with domestic chores. This can often make them fall behind in school. After the training families on the impact of child labour and unpaid labour, many women reported that their husbands and sons were sharing tasks previously done by women.