Hmong Women and Education: Challenges for Empowerment in the Lao PDR

Abstract

This study investigates how Hmong women’s educational access in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has changed in recent decades. To investigate this developmental change, the study adapted a mixed research methodology; quantitative data was collected from the Lao national census. A series of qualitative interviews with research informants was also conducted. This study argues that for Hmong women in Laos, access to educational opportunities has been increasingly emphasized due to internal/external aid, which has positively impacted womens’ participation in the labor market, resulting in greater opportunities for empowerment. With regards to the latter, the lives of Hmong women have also changed significantly in recent years through increased access to higher-wage positions in Laos.

Keywords

• hmong
• laos
• women
• education