My Body! My Rights! (Dare to Say NO)
Hanoi | G-Hope For Our Future | 2023
Xin chào!
We are G-Hope For Our Future, a group of 20 young girls in primary school who want to push for our rights in Hanoi, Vietnam.
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10 – 11 years old
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The Right-Sized Problem
In our school, Doan Thi Diem Primary School, we noticed that female students like us didn’t really know about body boundaries and why they were important. We want to change that!
What did we do?
Before we can empower young girls like us, we have to start with ourselves first. So we went on a field trip to the Vietnamese Women’s Museum to learn more about the important roles that Vietnamese women have played throughout history. We went around exhibitions that showed how women like us contributed to our country’s culture and society.
Inspired by what we saw in the museum, we organized and held the “My Body! My Rights! (Dare to Say NO)” event on December 15 at Doan Thi Diem Primary School. We carried out different engaging activities for our participants. One highlight was when students painted self-portraits that conveyed an important message about respecting their bodies. These artworks were displayed for peers, parents and teachers, serving as reminders of personal boundaries.
The day was filled with performances, including a play that raised awareness on the difference between wanted and unwanted touch. There were a lot of singing, dancing, and interactive games, emphasizing our message. At the end of the day, attendees signed pledges to respect body boundaries, showing a commitment to our advocacy.
Campaign Impact
The impact of our campaign went beyond young female students. School representatives, including the principal and school management board, not only attended the event but signed pledges to protect girls’ body boundaries too. Their presence sent an important message that our school will not allow for disrespect towards personal boundaries. Our event was a success and fellow students are looking forward to other engaging activities we’ll be leading in the future.
Words from our participant
“I AM VERY PROUD OF MY FRIENDS AND ME. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE THAT WE CAN RUN A BIG MEANINGFUL PROCESS LIKE THIS. WE HAVE ROOM TO MAKE OUR OWN DECISIONS.”
Ngoc Diep
