Ethnic minorities are concentrated in upland and mountainous areas in Vietnam where access to infrastructure, health, and educational facilities is limited. Being physically, economically, and culturally isolated from the rest of the nation, these groups are the most neglected and benefit the least from the development process of Vietnam brought about by the reform program. Among them, women were the poorest and most disadvantaged.
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 war against America by stepping up production and handling family affairs, and show devotion to their responsibility for national defense. In the period of 1980s and onward, the intra-household gender relations were changed through a combination of traditional gender norms, residual legacies of socialism, 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 grounds for a solution.
It is against the background delineated above that this study investigates the impact of rural de-collectivization and economic integration on intra-household gender relations in the Northern Uplands of Vietnam. This study examines relatively unexplored questions on gender and development in comparative regional studies: How have intra-household gender norms and relations in the cultures of ethnic minority groups been redefined in the period of rural de-collectivization and economic integration? To what extent can changes in intra-household gender relations among ethnic minority groups influence the development of household economies in the Northern Uplands of Vietnam? What are the determinants of household decision-making for ethnic minorities in the Northern Uplands of Vietnam?
In order to answer to research questions above, this paper first reviews the rural de-collectivization and economic integration in Vietnam and their effect on gender relations among ethnic minorities in Northern Vietnam. We also develop a theoretical framework to measure factors affecting the intra-household gender relations in ethnic minority groups in the Northern Mountainous Area of Vietnam.
Based on this theoretical framework, we estimate the important factors that affect women’s decision-making within households. The household survey of 480 households living in Thai Nguyen and Son La provinces is uniquely designed to measure the intra-household gender relations. The survey includes questions that measure household decision-making, such as making of decisions related to healthcare, household purchases, childcare etc., and other individual and household characteristics. The regression analysis tell us that women’s decision-making in the household is affected by factors such as women’s years of schooling, income contribution to the household, assets given when getting married, and whether there is a male family member working far from home.
These factors are also positively related to the economic integration and de-composition in Vietnam. The results of multiple regression analyses also indicate that husband’s years of schooling, gender of household head, the household’s current assets and the husband’s granted asset as major factors deterring women’s autonomy in Northern households.
With focus on gender relations within ethnic minorities in Northern Vietnam, there are several policy implications for both local authorities as well as the policy makers: (i) In order to increase ethnic women’s autonomy in decision-making in Northern Vietnam, it is necessary to organize professional training courses for ethnic minority women to enhance labor participation of women. (ii) Besides, local authorities should create favorable environments for ethnic minority women to actively participate in projects and/or programs which help to increase their income. (iii) Strengthening the cooperation between many organizations, individuals and communities to improve gender equality in remote areas, especially in areas where ethnic minorities live. (iv) Diversifying resource mobilization from the State, enterprises, communities, and donor countries to implement the plan, in which the local authorities will prioritize the allocation of state budgets for implementation of national targets on gender equality.