Break Your Limits! Life Gets Better Together!

Equality & Inclusion2023

Apr 25

Vietnam | Mang Non Creator | 2023

Xin chào!

We are Mang Non Creator, a diverse group of 136 students and 10 children's clubs pushing for gender equality in Vietnam.

12 - 15 years old
Lao Cai

The Right-Sized Problem

In Lao Cai City, a lot of students are not familiar with gender equality - many don't even know what it is! Through a human bingo game, we found that over 75% of students mocked the idea that boys can like the color pink or become makeup artists.

What did we do?

We believe that gender equality is an important topic to talk about among our peers, so we started the conversation around it! Across 10 secondary schools in our city, we held one-day events to educate students on gender equality using engaging communication activities. We had “Agree & Disagree” sessions where students were given informative presentations on gender equality. They were also given a safe space to share their opinions and listen to their peers’ personal experiences.

They participated in interactive games that were created for self-discovery and understanding of how gender equality looks like in everyday life–whether in school or the family. Through this activity, we found out that 65% of participants knew little about the LGBTQIA+ community, which meant that there was still a lot of work to be done.

To culminate these events, we gave free photography sessions where students can make a powerful statement. With frames that promoted the message, “Gender is not a limitation”, these pictures served as a reminder of the lessons they learned that day, which they could take outside of the classroom.

Spreading our advocacy to a wider audience, we also held the “Storytelling Through Images” online contest. Members from Mang Non clubs took on the challenge of submitting impactful photos that portrayed themes of gender equality in the family, school, and equal rights between boys and girls. We then created Photovoice, a digital magazine that showcased these images.

Campaign Impact

In 2 months, we saw a change in understanding and attitudes among our student participants. They came out of our events with a deeper understanding of equal rights and with growing confidence to speak up. Our campaign activities helped them realize that their hobbies, clothing, self-expression and future careers were not based on what their gender was.

The impact was even felt within Mang Non Creator, especially among the 98% of members who belong to ethnic minority groups. This project became an opportunity to build their skills, empowering them to continue spreading our advocacy to their own communities.

Our campaign showed how powerful education and open dialogues can be to achieve gender equality, especially for youth who will be shaping and leading our society in the future.

Impact in Numbers