Slice of Life Handbag

Key Issues facing Women and Children:

• Domestic Violence
• Human Trafficking
• Equal Access to Education and Employment

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam lies in Southeast Asia, home to over 85 million people in a land mass approximately the size of New Mexico. Women in this country face concerns of equal access to education and protection from sexual exploitation. In comparison to the neighboring countries in the region, Vietnamese women have traditionally experienced more gender equality.

While much of the country is experiencing rapid transformation after the government has made consorted effort to open the market, the benefit of globalization for women is questionable. Prior to liberalization, over three quarters of Vietnamese women lived and worked in the rural communities. With new open market and competitive policies, agriculture has suffered amidst the transition to an industrial economy. Many people have flooded urban centers for new job opportunities in factories, but women have experienced increased job insecurity and unemployment which directly correlate with higher incidence of poverty and hunger.

Legally, women have long been granted equality in theory and rhetoric. However, the reality is that women are continually vulnerable to discrimination in work, and violence at home.

Currently, no legal act exists to protect victims of domestic violence. Consequently, women who are beaten, raped, or degraded in the home often remain silent as domestic violence is often considered a private matter, largely ignored by law enforcement. Additionally, little research exists on the extent of violence against women in homes. Consequently, resources and protection are limited. Yet women's organizations and political communities such as the Vietnam Women's Union are making strident efforts to increase educational opportunities and upholding the ideals of equality upon which the government was conceived.

Fact Sheet:

Life Expectancy at birth:   male: 68.27 years, female: 74.08 years (2007 est.) Fertility rate: 1.89 children born per woman
Infant mortality rate: total: 24.37 deaths/1,000 live births, male: 24.76 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 23.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Adult Literacy Rate: definition: age 15 and over can read and write, total population: 90.3%, male: 93.9%, female: 86.9% (2002 est.)
Per Capita Income: $3,100 (2006 est.) (US purchasing power parity)

• 9" x 14" x 3"
• Snap top enclosure with individual pockets for phone and keys
• Available in lime or brown
• Made from silk, hemp, and bamboo fiber

$28.00 USD

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Our Vietnamese collective was established to provide vocational training to victims of human trafficking and socially-marginalized women. The issue of human trafficking has become an increasingly prevalent problem in Vietnam, where many women face being sold as foreign brides in countries such as China. The collective's goal is to empower women economically in order to break this cycle of exploitation. Recognizing the psychologically traumatizing experiences many women they work with have encountered, the collective aims to help workers rebuild their lives. There are 68 women in groups specializing in crafts utilizing bamboo, hemp, silk flowers and natural spices, mixing traditional and meaningful patterns into functional and quality products.