Gender Justice - Townhall Event Report: Building Inclusive Futures through Intersectional Justice
On December 8th 2024, IDEA Vietnam successfully hosted the Gender Justice Townhall under the theme, Building Inclusive Futures through Intersectional Justice. The event brought together over 20 participants, including experts, activists, and community members, to explore the systemic roots of inequality and foster inclusive dialogue on gender justice. The townhall focused on four key intersections: education, disability, climate change, and mental health, offering actionable insights and strategies for creating equitable systems.
The Townhall event, organized under the Oxfam Young Leader Fellowship Program 2024, gathered 20 young leaders from diverse backgrounds to explore systemic power dynamics and co-create solutions for advancing gender justice. This townhall served as a vital platform for addressing the deeply rooted gendered power imbalances that perpetuate societal inequities.
Event Highlights
a. Opening Session
The event commenced with welcoming remarks by the facilitator, who introduced the theme and objectives. Attendees were provided with an overview of IDEA Vietnam’s mission to promote intersectional justice and empower marginalized communities.
b. Interactive Icebreaker Activity: “Disadvantaged Identity”
This activity highlighted the disparities and inequalities faced by various identities in society. The moderator gave each team two identities, Elon Musk and Huong Giang idol – a celebrated transgender singer in Vietnam. Participants were divided into two groups and tasked with describing the disadvantages of assigned identities without naming them. The activity was engaging and thought-provoking, sparking meaningful conversations about societal privilege and systemic barriers.

c. Keynote Address: “The Roots of Inequality”
About Speaker: Nguyen Tran Bao Trinh – A renowned gender justice expert delivered an insightful keynote exploring the structural roots of systemic injustice.
Ms. Bao Trinh is currently the Head of the Faculty of Basic Sciences at the University of the Pacific. With a Gender Criticism perspective, her research focuses on analyzing issues in literature and ethnic culture. In addition to teaching, she also participates in gender policy consulting for schools, businesses and social organizations.
After the opening session and ice-breaking activity, Ms. Nguyen Tran Bao Trinh from Thai Binh Duong University shared about the Roots of Inequality, by delving into Michael Foucault’s concept of discourse as a tool of power, elucidating how societal narratives perpetuate inequality. With Ms. Trinh’s sharing about the Roots of Inequality, by devling into Michel Foucault’s concept of discourse as a tool of power, elucidating how societal narratives perpetuate inequality. younsters engaged in a vibrant discussion on Discourse, exchanging their personal experiences and viewpoints on inequalities in life
After the opening session and ice-breaking activity, Ms. Nguyen Tran Bao Trinh from Thai Binh Duong University shared about the Roots of Inequality, by delving into Michael Foucault’s concept of discourse as a tool of power, elucidating how societal narratives perpetuate inequality. With Ms. Trinh’s sharing about the Roots of Inequality, by devling into Michel Foucault’s concept of discourse as a tool of power, elucidating how societal narratives perpetuate inequality. younsters engaged in a vibrant discussion on Discourse, exchanging their personal experiences and viewpoints on inequalities in life

The relationship between structure and agency is reciprocal, where structure shapes the behavior of agents, and at the same time, agents have the capacity to change social structures.
IDEA Vietnam examines structure and agency through the lens of intersectionality. This perspective recognizes that individuals belong to multiple social groups simultaneously (e.g., race, gender, social class), and these intersecting identities influence their experiences and agency. Within this complex relationship, individuals belonging to marginalized groups (children, women, people with disabilities, minorities, sexual minorities, etc.) may have their agency limited compared to other groups.
Panel Discussion: “Diverse Challenges, Shared Roots”
In the panel discussion session, 04 youth leaders and participants explored gender justice intersections with education, climate, disability, and mental health.
💡 Gender and Education: Gender stereotypes, limited access, and inadequate facilities obstruct gender equality in education. To overcome these barriers, we need to ensure equitable access, create inclusive learning environments, and promote transformative learning that challenges systemic inequalities.
💡 Gender and Climate Change: Climate change exacerbates vulnerabilities caused by gender inequality in rural Vietnam. As the impacts of climate change become more severe and unpredictable, women face increasing burdens of caregiving, while men experience heightened mental health challenges. These factors affect their ability to adapt and make decisions. Climate Justice was also mentioned by Ms. Vy as a term that needs to be paid attention to by young people, in order to address gender inequalities in the context of climate change.
💡 Gender and Disability Justice: Employability and accessibility barriers for disabled people, especially women, were discussed. Focus included employment, education, and mental health challenges for disabled and LGBTIQ+ individuals, highlighting the need for inclusive policies. School bullying and workplace discrimination against disabled women were emphasized.
💡 Gender and Mental Health: Systemic oppression harms our mental well-being. Societal stigmas, lack of resources, and harmful stereotypes create barriers to getting the mental health support we deserve.
Closing
The facilitator concluded the townhall by thanking all attendees and speakers for their active participation and thought-provoking insights. Emphasizing the systemic nature of inequality, the closing remarks encouraged participants to view these imbalances as challenges that can be dismantled through collective effort and advocacy. The event ended with a renewed commitment to fostering inclusive and equitable futures.
Event Impact
The townhall successfully created a space for critical dialogue and collaboration, equipping attendees with actionable knowledge and a deeper understanding of intersectional justice. Feedback from participants reflected a strong appreciation for the event’s structure, diversity of voices, and relevance to ongoing societal challenges.