Reproducing Gender in Viet Nam’s Museums: A Pilot Study FINAL REPORT January 2011 UNESCO, Hanoi Viet Nam Acknowledgements This report is based on original research, analysis and a report on the study findings prepared in 2009 by a team of consultants consisting of Ms Helka Ketonen, International Consultant on Museums, Ms Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, National Consultant, and Ms Marjo Riitta Tervonen, International Consultant on Gender. Mr Le Ha Trung, UNESCO gender focal point in the Culture Team ably assisted the consulting team. Mr Richard Pierce edited the first draft of the report. UNESCO Hanoi is grateful to colleagues in the UNESCO regional office and at UNESCO HQ who reviewed successive drafts of the report and provided extensive comments and feedback. Ms Ingrid FitzGerald, International Consultant, prepared the final draft of this report, with assistance from Mr Le Ha Trung and Ms Duong Bich Hanh of the UNESCO Hanoi Culture Team. Finally UNESCO and the consulting team also wish to thank the six museums and their staff who participated in the study. Without their generous and active engagement this study would not have been possible. 1 Abbreviations CEDAW Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women DCH Department of Culture and Heritage EFEO Ecole Francais d’Extreme-Orient (French School of Oriental Far East) GEL Gender Equality Law HCMC Ho Chi Minh City ICOM The International Council of Museums MDGs Millennium Development Goals MoCST Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism NCFAW National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Viet Nam PCG Programme Coordination Group UN United Nations UNCT United Nations Country Team UNESCO United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation VND Viet Nam Dong 2 Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 1 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................. 2 Contents .............................................................................................................................................. 3 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................... 5 A. Introduction and Context for the Study .................................................................................. 9 Delet Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Delet Context for the Study: Development of Museums in Viet Nam ...................................................... 10 Delet Introduction of museums into Viet Nam by the French ....................................................... 10 Delet Museums in an independent Vietnam .................................................................................... 11 Delet Developing museums for the 21st Century ............................................................................. 11 Delet Museum audiences ................................................................................................................... 13 Delet Museum careers ....................................................................................................................... 14 Context for the Study: Policy and legislative frameworks for gender equality in Viet Nam ......... 15 Delet Culture and gender equality frameworks .............................................................................. 16 Delet Purpose of the study ................................................................................................................. 18 Delet Delet B. Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 19 Delet Selection of the museums and museum visitors ............................................................................. 19 Delet Research questions and methods ................................................................................................... 20 Delet Assessing the collections and exhibitions ............................................................................... 21 Delet Interviews with museum staff ................................................................................................. 21 Delet Visitor survey ........................................................................................................................... 22 Study limitations ...................................................................................................................... 23 Delet Delet C. Key Findings ......................................................................................................................... 23 Delet The Museum Experience ................................................................................................................ 23 Delet Images of people – women, men and children ....................................................................... 23 Delet Clothing ..................................................................................................................................... 24 Delet Images of family members ...................................................................................................... 25 Delet Balance between images of people and objects ..................................................................... 25 Delet Gender imbalance in images and objects exhibited in museums, by theme ....................... 26 Delet Representing gender identities: how is normative masculinity and femininity being Delet represented? ............................................................................................................................. 27 Traditional roles and practices ............................................................................................... 27 Delet Women’s and men’s contribution to society ......................................................................... 29 Delet Gender balance in education and public programs .............................................................. 29 Delet Gender balance in publications, leaflets and web materials ................................................ 30 Delet Behind the scenes at the museum: discussions and interviews with museum staff ........................ 30 Delet Gender balance in the museum workforce ............................................................................ 30 Delet Feminisation of the museum workforce ................................................................................. 31 Delet Gender-based division of labour ............................................................................................. 32 Delet Policies on gender-related issues ............................................................................................. 33 Delet 3 Training on gender issues ........................................................................................................ 34 Delet Role of the museum in social change ...................................................................................... 34 Delet Role of museums in promoting gender equality .................................................................... 35 Delet Women’s position in museums: a vehicle for social change? ............................................... 36 Delet Views on unequal retirement age ........................................................................................... 36 Delet Understandings of Gender Equality ....................................................................................... 37 Delet The visitor experience: audience surveys ...................................................................................... 38 Reasons for visiting the museum .............................................................................................. 39 Delet Visitor satisfaction and experience ......................................................................................... 39 Delet Delet D. Conclusion and Recommendations ........................................................................................ 41 Delet Collections and exhibitions ...................................................................................................... 43 Delet Museum education and outreach activities ........................................................................... 44 Delet Audience research .................................................................................................................... 45 Delet Gender equality training for museum staff ........................................................................... 46 Delet Museums’ personnel policies and staff awareness of gender issues .................................... 46 Delet Future Research ....................................................................................................................... 47 Recommendations to Member States and the UN staff ........................................................ 48 Delet Delet Annexes ............................................................................................................................................. 50 Delet Annex A: Terms of Reference ......................................................................................................... 50