[FEMINISM THROUGH CULTURAL LENS]

Emma Watson, a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for gender equality, once stated: “Feminism is not a stick with which to beat women. Feminism is about freedom, liberation, and equality.” Feminism and gender equality have long been topics of widespread interest. Many questions have been raised: What is feminism truly about? When did this movement begin? Today, let us explore feminism from a different perspective — feminism through the lens of cultural and historical contexts.  

So what is feminism? Some feminist advocates have been misunderstood in their views on feminism. Feminism is not about forcing absolute equality in rights and responsibilities between women and men; rather, it is about liberating women from the rigid stereotypes imposed on them by society — as well as those they impose on themselves. This also means that men, too, need to advocate for men’s rights, because society itself is constructed around deeply ingrained stereotypes.  

Tracing back through history, in traditional Vietnamese culture, the spirit of a settled agricultural civilization has consistently and clearly placed great importance on the home, the kitchen, and women. This is vividly reflected in folk proverbs such as “Nhat vo nhi troi” (First comes the wife, second comes heaven) and “Lenh ong khong bang cong ba” (A husband’s command is no stronger than a wife’s gong). Moreover, Professor Dr. Academician Tran Ngoc Them clearly emphasized this characteristic in his lectures on Foundations of Vietnamese Culture. He noted that Vietnamese ancestors, shaped by an agricultural culture with a strong yin orientation, tended toward an emotionally driven way of life, placed high value on women, and, in the realm of belief systems, worshipped numerous female deities. Because the ultimate focus of the nation’s belief system was fertility worship, Vietnamese goddesses were fundamentally revered as Mother figures. These include celestial mother deities such as Cuu Thien Huyen Nu and Mau Cuu Trung, as well as the three deities worshipped together in folk belief, collectively known as the Tam Phu (Three Realms), who govern the realms of heaven, forested mountains, and water: Mau Thuong Thien, Mau Thuong Ngan, and Mau Thoai.  

Through many historical transformations and cultural exchanges, Vietnamese culture in later periods—especially after the Le Dynasty adopted Confucianism as the state ideology—was significantly influenced by Chinese culture. During this time, Vietnamese society absorbed Confucian concepts and norms such as “nam ton nu ty” (male superiority, female inferiority), “nhat nam viet huu, thap nu viet vo” (one son is considered valuable, ten daughters are considered worthless), and the doctrine of the Three Obediences (tai gia tong phu, xuat gia tong phu, phu tu tong tu — obedience to the father at home, to the husband after marriage, and to the son after the husband’s death). However, in reality, the Vietnamese people selectively adopted foreign cultural influences while preserving their own cultural identity—integrating without losing themselves. This selective adaptation is clearly reflected in the Hong Duc Code and the Gia Long Code. The Hong Duc Code guaranteed daughters equal inheritance rights to property alongside sons. Daughters and granddaughters were entitled to perform ancestral rites for their parents in cases where there were no sons or grandsons (Articles 391 and 395). If the eldest son was still a minor, a widow was permitted to perform ancestral rituals on his behalf. In matters of marriage, the law granted women the right to annul an engagement if the fiancé suffered from severe illness, committed a crime, or became bankrupt (Article 322). Similarly, the Gia Long Code prohibited husbands from selling their wives, forcing them into labor, or demoting a lawful wife to the status of a concubine. Clause 268, Article 17, further forbade men from using obscene or vulgar language to insult women; if such abuse drove a woman to suicide, the man would be held criminally responsible. Thus, respect for women is a defining virtue in Vietnamese culture. Although this value was at times obscured or constrained across different historical dynasties, it has nonetheless remained a distinctive and enduring highlight in the nation’s cultural and historical legacy.   

In addition, we cannot overlook the feminist movement, which has unfolded through three major waves that have been vibrant both in the past and into the present worldwide. If the first wave of feminism was liberal feminism, emerging primarily in industrialized countries and focusing on advocating women’s rights for women—promoting equal access and opportunities—then the second wave originated from the women’s liberation movement associated with radical feminism in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Women involved in this movement rose to critique capitalism and imperialism, and to fight for the rights of marginalized groups such as workers, people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. They actively participated in marches and protests demanding rights, most notably anti–Vietnam War demonstrations, student movements, and protests in support of LGBTQ+ rights. Subsequently, the third wave of feminism emerged in the mid-1990s in the context of globalization, the expansion of information freedom, and global political change. Women increasingly asserted themselves as active social agents—capable, strong, and decisive. They believed in their autonomy over themselves and their bodies, and in a society that offers opportunities for development with reduced gender discrimination. This wave has been—and continues to be—shaped by globalization and shifting power structures, influencing the advancement of women’s rights and progress, while reflecting the growing diversity of women’s concerns and perspectives in the contemporary era.  

It can be said that, despite enduring countless upheavals and challenges, the feminist movement has continued to grow relentlessly—raising its voice to protect women and children, and to claim the right to live authentically, to be treated with fairness and equality. Feminist movements around the world, though differing in their “tone,” share the same underlying “frequency”: the timeless values of humanity. Rooted in national cultural foundations and arising from hearts that yearn for life and dignity, the feminist movement has left behind voices whose echoes will continue to resonate far into the future.  

Author: Le Dieu Huong