Ninth grade Vietnamese boy spends day as Canada Consul General, discusses gender equality
At a recent luncheon held in Ho Chi Minh City, a group of strong Vietnamese women leaders sat down with local high school students to discuss gender equality in Vietnam.
“Do I think I as a woman I need to fight very hard for gender equality?” Nguyen Phi Van, one of the leaders at the event, asked as the group discussed some of the barriers women in Vietnam face in the workplace.
Van serves as the chairwoman of the advisory board of the Saigon Innovation Hub, an initiative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology.
Before anyone could respond, Van answered herself with a defiant “No.”
“Personally, I don’t think about whether or not I have anything less than my colleagues and I never think about whether or not I have to fight, because I am already there,” she explained.
Van went on to explain herself.
“I think gender equality is more about telling girls that they don't have to think that they are less [than men] and need to fight for equality.
“It’s about telling them to be themselves in order to advance in the work they would like to do.”
The discussion was held in English and co-chaired by Canadian Consul General Kyle Nunas and Le Huy Tuan, a ninth grader who recently won the 'Consul General for a Day' competition organized by the Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City.
Tuan was accompanied by three of the contest’s finalists, including one male and two females.
Tran Thi Ngoc Mai, one of the contest’s finalists, described the meeting as her "best experience ever."
Mai, a 12th grader who traveled from the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau for the event, shared that she found the women leaders in attendance to be a major source of inspiration for her to break down barriers in order to pursue her dreams.
As a male, 'Consul General for a Day' Tuan had a different perspective on the event.
“I learned that everyone is equal and we should not say a woman is unable to earn a salary equal to that of a man," he said.
At the luncheon, the one-day consul general also treated his guests to Canadian delicacies including salmon, lobster, and maple syrup dessert while they mentioned a variety of topics aside from gender, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
More boys involved
This is the second year in a row the 'Consul General for a Day' event has focused on celebrating gender equality.
The competition, which targets Vietnamese students from grades 8 through 12, aims to engage young Vietnamese on issues related to women’s advancement, gender equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, according to the organizer.
To enter the competition, contestants were required to write an essay in either English or French addressing the specific actions he or she is committed to taking in order to promote the competition’s values.
In his essay, Tuan wrote that he has been “attempting for many education and social projects for students in the northern midland and mountainous areas and promoting, inspiring girls for education opportunities [sic].”
