SDG Target:
Target 10.2:
By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
Target groups:
People living in poverty; ethnic minorities; people with disabilities; elderly people; young people.
How did we engage marginalised groups in SDG monitoring?
LNOB partners and a partner research institute trained community members in two sites to conduct quantitative surveys with 400 people and facilitate focus group discussions. Further, 49 in-depth interviews were conducted with officials (district + commune level) and community members.
Ways target groups are left behind
- Ethnicity is a strong driver for marginalisation in Vietnam, and several ethnic minority groups experience discrimination due to low literacy, lack of economic opportunities and awareness about their rights.
- Women and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable as they are burdened with unequal workloads and face barriers accessing public services.
- Prejudices about ethnic minorities, young people, people with disabilities and women impede their opportunities to contribute to local decision making.
- Language is a crucial barrier preventing ethnic minority groups from contributing in elections, and particularly women from joining in vocational training and finding employment.
- 40% of citizens surveyed had participated in making local SDG action plans – but significantly more men than women participate and ethnic minority participation is low.
What is missed in national reporting?
- The national indicator for 10.2 focuses on income inequality, overlooking complex socio-cultural and language barriers to social, economic and political inclusion.
- Currently, only a small number of sources – all developed by or with the close participation of government agencies – are recognised as official data for measurement of the SDGs, which overlooks perspectives of marginalised groups.
National advocacy impact so far
In Vietnam, the coalition has engaged collaboratively with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to promote the use of non-government data in SDG reporting and to inform planning and policy on SDG implementation. At least one member of the coalition was present at each of the formal consultations with civil society on Vietnam’s 2018 VNR, and data and case studies supplied by the coalition were also included in the VNR which boosted the representation of marginalised groups significantly.
Recommendations
- Strengthen implementation of the Gender Equality Law and mechanisms for women, especially ethnic minority women, to participate meaningfully in local political life, including policy making, policy discussion, policy implementation and monitoring.
- Include more women, especially ethnic minority women, in state socio-economic development programs;
- Train local officials in gender sensitivity;
- Organise literacy activities and registration for ethnic minority women and women in mountainous areas.
- Strengthen electoral processes by applying principles of self-determination and “universal, equal, direct, and secret ballot” in elections, including village head elections, to ensure the transparency and quality of elections.
- Promote local cultural capital such as indigenous languages and cultures through policies and programs. Media information programs and elections should use both Vietnamese and local languages.
- Increasingly target training activities related to economic development and production to the poor and to elderly people, both of whom can contribute significantly to poverty reduction. Provide vocational training for ethnic minority young people to provide them with opportunities to look for off-farm work.
- Support people with disabilities to work after vocational training and promote the development of People with Disabilities Associations.
- Strengthen communication on the SDGs, including formulating messages appropriate to differences in geography, culture and education.
- Social organisations need to promote activities to attract people’s participation and support social integration, especially for women, poor people and people with disabilities.
Ongoing Project (2020-2022)
Country PublicationsTargeted SDGs