Girls, unlock your power!
Women changemakers inspire girls to live their dreams.
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- Tiếng Việt
Girls have the power to transform lives. Equipped with the right resources and opportunities, girls today can become the largest generation of women changemakers Viet Nam has ever seen.
Get inspired by the stories of five Vietnamese women, who are making change happen and showing girls the future is theirs to shape!
In the words of...
Dau Thuy Ha, 57, Ed-tech entrepreneur, Ha Noi
“It never occurs to me that I can’t do something because I'm a woman. When international technology companies entered Viet Nam, I jumped right into the technology sector.
When I started, all my tech colleagues said things that I couldn’t understand. I had to acquaint myself with even the basic definitions of the internet, like what is the TCP/IP protocol. But I was never deterred about my lack of knowledge. The fact that it’s something new only means I must ask more questions. I’m pretty good at it!
So, I started telling my colleagues: ‘Please don't be mad at me if I seem to bombard you with questions. Please help me understand things.’ I tried to twist and make my questions interesting – give me one issue, and I could come up with 10 different ways to ask questions about it. My boss and colleagues seemed to love the way I asked questions! Just like that, I learnt fast, then faster, and gradually spread my wings in the industry.
That’s why I often ask younger colleagues to use their mind like a sponge: open it up for full absorption of ideas. When needed, squeeze it dry to ‘unlearn’ and get ready to ‘relearn’ newer ideas!”
Sung Thi Cua, 30, Village midwife, Dien Bien
“On my busiest days, I walk to mothers’ homes from 5:30am and return at 9pm.
The mothers I visit give me a lot of love and trust. They let me check their health and share their daily lives. Every time I’m able to help a mother and her baby, my heart is filled with pride and happiness.
If I’m doing prenatal checkups, I call the mothers in advance. If it’s a birth delivery, I head to them immediately. They let me know whenever they are sick and feeling dizzy: ‘Can you come over here and check my blood pressure?’, ‘Can you come and listen to my baby's heartbeat?’, ‘My baby’s movements have become a bit weaker in the past few days, is there any risk?’
No matter how busy I am, I always proactively visit mothers and babies. Only by visiting them can I feel more at peace.
This is probably because I have so much love for the mothers, no matter who they are. All of them love me, too.”
Dao Thi Hong Quyen, 34, STEM Educator, Nam Dinh
“Whenever I persuade parents to send their children back to school, they always say: ‘Girls don't need to study much, because eventually they will get married and have children.’
Trying to teach STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects is even more challenging, as many still think STEM is boring, mechanical-oriented and not suitable for girls. I want to prove the opposite.
Normally I don’t experience strong emotions, but there are beautiful moments that I hold dear.
For example, one time, I came to Na Hang district, Tuyen Quang province for a workshop on ‘The Beauty of Mathematics’. In the workshop, I helped students recognize mathematical rules in decorative patterns of Mong and Dao Tien people’s traditional clothes.
After the workshop ended, a Dao student came to me and asked for a photo. I was a bit surprised because I had noticed her, a shy girl who was sitting far back and didn’t speak a word throughout the entire session. Yet, she gave me a smile and pointed at her clothes: ‘I saw what I’m wearing in the example you gave.’
She overcame her shyness to share that with me. And when she got home, she had a story to tell her mother and grandmother, about how learning STEM at school can be interesting and connective with one’s own culture.
My joy in work comes from small moments like that.”
Nguyen Thi My Linh, 29, Chess Athlete, Ha Noi
“I still remember the feeling when the coach held my hand and said: ‘Linh, it's gold’.
I had just finished my final chess game at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indonesia. As the games ended, I was named an individual Gold Medal winner in the Rapid Chess category - my first Asian gold medal.
I started playing chess when I was 5 years old. I saw my brother playing with his friends and got curious, so I convinced him to teach me how to play. After trying out a chess class at Nguyen Dinh Chieu school, I realized how much I enjoyed playing it. That was when I decided to sign up for the Ha Noi chess team for people with disabilities.
To improve my skills, I needed to learn and practice chess every day. However, my eyesight is only 1/10, which makes it challenging for me to read chess documents with lots of images. I had to find a way to fix the problems myself, like finding PDF documents on the Internet and enlarging the images to read better. If a document doesn’t have a PDF version, I will go to a photocopy store and get it printed out in A3 for larger chessboard images and writing.
During these 11 years of continued efforts, I was selected to represent Ha Noi and then the national team. Since then, I have won various medals.
But now when I look back on my journey, the person I want to thank the most is my 5-year-old self. In that carefree moment when I asked my brother to teach me how to play chess, without realizing it, I gave myself a chance.”
Lo Thi Tuoi, 29, Social Worker, Dien Bien
“The first time I did public speaking at a social protection centre, I trembled, my face turned red, and I almost forgot everything I wanted to say!
Growing up, I was a shy kid. But I have always loved community activities. Perhaps because I was born in a disadvantaged rural area, I wanted to become someone who could support my community and make lives less difficult, even just a little bit.
Once, I visited a family living up a mountain and discovered a 10-year-old girl who was pale, fainted often and wasn’t healthy enough to go to school. The symptoms had been there for a long time, but her family didn’t have enough resources to take her to a medical facility for examination.
I thought she might have a heart issue, so when I returned to the province, I immediately tried to mobilize resources to support her. Shyness wasn’t much use in a situation like that. Taking advantage of all my previous experience, I tried my best to stay calm and confident to coordinate everything.
Finally, the fundraising was successful. The girl was taken to a central-level hospital and had surgery. Her health is now stable, and she can go to school. Her parents still call me sometimes to update me about her condition.
I'm happy because I was able to help her gain better health and a better life. But I also feel proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and doing things I had never imagined I would be capable of.
It’s all thanks to what I feel and gain from my profession – love and pride.”
Advice to adolescent girls
According to Ha, Cua, Quyen, Linh and Tuoi, to unlock girls' power:
1. Follow your passion: Don't be afraid to explore different interests until you discover what excites and inspires you. Once you find it, pour your energy into it wholeheartedly, and watch as it leads you to life-changing opportunities.
2. Take on new challenges: Growth happens when you push yourself beyond what you think you're capable of. Every challenge you face is an opportunity to learn, adapt, and evolve. Don't shy away from challenges. Instead, welcome them with open arms and trust in your ability to overcome them.
3. Ask for help: Strength isn't about doing everything on your own – it's about knowing when to reach out for support. Don't hesitate to ask for help when you need it. Whether it's seeking guidance from mentors, leaning on friends and family for encouragement, or seeking professional assistance, remember that you don't have to navigate life's challenges alone.
