Gender, Cultural Norms, and Child Marriage Among Vietnam's Ethnic Minorities

Abstract

This article examines the current situation, trends, and disparities in child marriage among 53 ethnic minority groups, based on data from the 2024 Survey on the socio-economic situation of 53 ethnic minorities, combined with comparative evidence from 2014 and 2018. The study employs descriptive and comparative analysis methods, framed within gender, cultural norms, and intersectional approaches to elucidate the social mechanisms sustaining early marriage. The findings show that although the overall rate of child marriage among ethnic minorities has decreased markedly, it remains considerably higher than the national average and is deeply stratified by gender, ethnicity, region, and level of development. Child marriage is concentrated primarily in rural and mountainous areas and among ethnic groups with small population; females face markedly higher risks than males. The slowdown in the decline since 2018 suggests that universal interventions based on law and universal education are approaching their effectiveness limits, while traditional gender norms and livelihood structures continue to play significant roles. The article contributes to conceptualising child marriage as a mechanism for gendered inequality reproduction and suggests the necessity of targeted interventions integrating education, livelihoods, social security, and community-level gender norm change.