Viet Nam: Information on the societal attitude towards a single mother with an illegitimate child
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 December 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | VNM25543.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Viet Nam: Information on the societal attitude towards a single mother with an illegitimate child, 1 December 1996, VNM25543.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad0c38.html [accessed 8 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided in the attached 29 November 1996 facsimile from the Paris-based Vietnam Committee on Human Rights. Vietnamese society is based on the Confucian belief system, which accords special importance to the family. Familes that do not conform to the traditional family model, including those headed by a single mother, would thus be seen in an "unfavourable light." The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights adds, however, that any disapproval would be on purely moral terms, and that it is unlikely that a single mother with an illegitimate child would suffer systematic discrimination or harassment.
The attached 2 December 1996 facsimile sent to the DIRB by the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) in Washington, DC, indicates that in general the societal attitude towards a single mother with an illegitimate child is tolerant, although in certain rural areas such a woman might be "resented or punished" by her parents, and viewed unfavourably by neighbours. SEARAC clarifies that such a woman would eventually be accepted by her family and community (ibid.). Further, no law exists in Vietnam which penalizes single mothers with illegitimate children (ibid.).
In addition, Country Reports 1995 indicates that despite legal safeguards, women in Vietnam in general face deep-rooted social discrimination (1996, 745). This information is corroborated by a September 1993 report from the Refugees, Immigration and Asylum Section (RIAS) of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The latter report states that as "families, which by definition includes [sic] a husband in Vietnam," receive priority consideration for already very scarce housing, single women who do not live with their families face a "lack of protection," as there is no accommocation available to them (7). Finally, "single women with children face even more difficulties" (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1995. 1996. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
Refugees, Immigration and Asylum Section (RIAS), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia. September 1993. Country Profile: Vietnam. Canberra: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), Washington, DC. 2 December 1996. Facsimile sent to the DIRB.
Vietnam Committee on Human Rights, Paris. 29 November 1996. Facsimile sent to the DIRB.
Attachments
Refugees, Immigration and Asylum Section (RIAS), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia. September 1993. Country Profile: Vietnam. Canberra: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, p. 7.
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), Washington, DC. 2 December 1996. Facsimile sent to the DIRB.
Vietnam Committee on Human Rights, Paris. 29 November 1996. Facsimile sent to the DIRB.
