Gender, Doi Moi and Mangrove Management in Northern Vietnam

Abstract

The Vietnamese government’s economic reforms, known as doi moi, have opened up economic opportunities for many, but have not benefited women and men equally. This article examines the different practices of women and men in resource use and management, changes in access to and control over mangrove resources and the conflicts between those who have been able to capture nearly exclusive access and those who lost access as a result of the privatization of coastal aquaculture resources in a village in northern Vietnam. The findings demonstrate that rapid changes in the allocation of private leaseholds in the coastal area and the legalization of private businesses have deprived many poor households of livelihoods dependent on access to mangrove resources. Women-led households, women and girls have been the most adversely affected. Changes in the macro-structure of the state and the economy have not resulted in improvements in all aspects of life in the village. Consequently, there have emerged different processes of differentiation between different classes, groups of women and men and groups of people of different ages in the same village.