Life "on the shoulders" of highland women
(Baonghean.vn) - Life is still difficult, so activities of giving flowers, gifts, and having fun on International Women's Day for ethnic minority women in Nghe An still seem like a distant concept.
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Living halfway up the mountain, transportation is difficult, so transporting goods and construction materials up steep slopes has become familiar to the feet of Thai women in Dinh Yen village (Yen Hoa commune). In the photo: Women in this village carry gravel and sand to the village to serve the construction of concrete roads with a distance of more than half a kilometer of mountain slopes. |
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| Meanwhile, during harvest season, women in Chau Thuan commune, Quy Chau district participate in heavy work such as carrying sugarcane to earn a living. "We don't care. We still have to worry about food. We work like normal days," many women in the highlands laughed when asked about International Women's Day, March 8. |
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| A Thai woman in Dong Van commune, Que Phong district is carrying firewood home after an afternoon in the forest. The basket is always associated with Thai women. A strong woman can carry loads heavier than her body. |
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| Women in Chieu Luu commune, Ky Son district are peeling bamboo shoots to dry. During bamboo shoot season, in addition to going to the forest to pick bamboo shoots, they also have to peel the leaves to dry. This job helps them earn about 100,000 to 150,000 VND/day. |
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| A familiar image of women in Ba village, Huu Kiem commune, Ky Son district. This is a village of Thai people, women here not only weave fabrics to wear during holidays and Tet but also bring them to the commune and district markets to sell. Each Thai dress woven by women in Ba village can be sold for 400,000 VND to 500,000 VND. |
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| Women in Nghia Dong commune are trying to harvest turmeric as the price of this plant has dropped dramatically. In 2019, the price of turmeric was only about 25,000 VND/yen, while in 2017 it was 150,000 VND/yen. |
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| The job of picking up stones and pebbles of the people of Nghia Dong commune, Tan Ky district. This new job brings the women here an income of about 120,000 VND/person/day. |
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Tam Dinh commune has long been considered the rice granary of Tuong Duong - the district with the largest area in the country. Unlike many other women in the same locality, the main job of Tam Dinh women is to work hard in the fields all year round. Due to the steep terrain, machinery is inaccessible, so farming here can only rely on human and livestock power. |
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| Meanwhile, in Pa Khom village (Yen Tinh commune, Tuong Duong), during the off-season, women in the village take each other to the river and stream to catch fish. This work not only brings income or improves food for the family but also represents the cultural identity of the Pa Khom people in particular and Thai women in general. |
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| A Thai ethnic woman in Chau Kim commune, Que Phong district and her husband scoop sand from the Nam Giai stream. Soaking in the muddy water for hours is enough to show how hard this job is. |
