[jjr69] Vietnam's Women Of War
- From: Dat Duthinh <dduthinh@xxxxxxxx>
- To: jjr69@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2003 18:22:13 -0500
So here is our chance to combine the various threads on this list. To all
the So Vo or Ne Vo, you are only following a proud matriarchal tradition,
althouhg history does not say much about Mr. Trung Trac or Trung Nhi or
Trieu Au, known by their wife's name.
Chi Van, I hope you are right. I think traditional VN treats women better
than traditional China. I remember vaguely about the Tay Son legal code
being downright enlightened compared to Gia Long's who went back to the
Chinese model. A bit foggy on this now.
I think in VN people still think that a house is a man's castle, and short
of murder, he can brutalize his family with relative impunity. I am not
saying many do, but outside intervention is rare. Are you aware of any
study of the problem?
I can't leave the forum for the week-end on such a serious note. So here
is to LVHung re your energy conservation scheme: Forget the sweater at
night. Keep the thermostat low, and use body heat. It is a patriotic duty
to reduce oil consumption, right?
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At 05:51 PM 1/24/03, you wrote:
>Hi Annette and anh Dat,
>
>Annette, you are 100% correct about the bad lot of the women in VN. However,
>please know that everywhere in the world, and even here in the U.S., women do
>not really fare that much better. I have encountered very sad cases in my
>pro bono work for battered women, and domestic violence is still THE big
>killer of women. Women still have a long way to go to enjoy the same rate of
>pay, the same treatment from employers, and the same fundamental rights as
>men, despite the apparent and superficial conclusions that we have done a lot
>better than before.
>
>I don't personally think our Vietnamese culture breeds wife battering. In
>fact, I tend to think that, compared to some other men, Vietnamese men tend
>to be more gentle with their women (there are exceptions, of course). One of
>the reasons may be because they tend to be less possessive and more detached
>toward their women. This is my personal observation based on my life
>experience, and what I have seen working as a legal aid lawyer among
>different ethnic groups.
>
>In addition, did not our culture start out as a matriarchal system? I am
>probably wrong on this, but I vaguely remember that from my Vietnamese
>Civilization Class at Dai Hoc Van Khoa some 30 years ago.
>
>Van
This information is confidential and pre-decisional.
Dat Duthinh
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