During the war all norms were essentially suspended in favour of a more egalitarian interdependent set of gender relations which under-pinned life in the resistance. After the war it was business as usual as far as gender relations were concerned for those in the resistance and for those who maintained their lives on farms, in factories and in the public service. The Confucianist norm of the ‘Three criteria’ which underpins gender relations and gender norms up to the present time. Even the Gender Roles in Vietnam: A Metalogue on the Traditional and the New and Suggestions…

Question

184Vietnam Women’s Union underpins its socio-political agenda and com-mitment to change with a continued adherence to the three criteria which reinforce the traditional domestic role of women and re-criteria women with exceed roles and pressure at home and at work (Schuler etal., 2006
explain this in a esay way so a esl student can understand

Answer 1

During the war, traditional rules about gender roles and relationships were mostly set aside. Men and women worked together equally in the resistance against the enemy. This situation created a sense of partnership and equality between genders during the challenging times of war.

However, after the war ended, things went back to the way they were before. Men and women returned to traditional roles, especially in workplaces like farms, factories, and government jobs. The existing norms, based on Confucian values, still heavily influence how men and women are expected to behave today.

These Confucian norms, called the "Three Criteria," guide how gender roles are defined in Vietnam. They emphasize that women should primarily focus on home and family responsibilities, while men are often seen as the primary providers. This traditional view puts pressure on women to balance their duties at home with their work outside the home.

Even the Vietnam Women's Union, which aims to improve women's status in society, still works within these traditional frameworks, which can sometimes make it harder for women to have equal opportunities in both their personal and professional lives. Thus, while the war brought some temporary changes in gender equality, the post-war period saw a return to longstanding traditional roles.