Planète Enfants et Développement (PE&D)

Vietnam's sustained economic growth over the past 30 years has nevertheless forgotten a part of the population: the ethnic minorities, who represent 15% of the population, constitute half of the country's poor. And this exceptional growth in Southeast Asia is set to decline in 2021 against a backdrop of Covid-19.

Although the authorities have put in place a national response plan to the pandemic with a package of social assistance, it has not been sufficient to prevent the most vulnerable families from falling further behind. Temporary suspension of health services, loss of employment, reduced income, increased prices of food, masks and many other essentials have left many families destitute, raising concerns about the care and education of their children. Undernutrition and stunting are already a major problem in Vietnam.

Moreover, while the Vietnamese government has been developing laws since 2006 for gender equality and the prevention of domestic violence, discrimination remains entrenched in society and the severity of confinement measures has led to an explosion in the frequency and brutality of violence against women.