What was the role of women in the anti-imperial struggle in Vietnam? Compare this with the role of women in the nationalist struggle in India.
Women played
a crucial role in the anti-imperial struggle in Vietnam. Women who rebelled
against social conventions were idealised and rebel women of the past were
likewise celebrated. Trieu Au was a popular figure in nationalist tales. In the
1960s, women were represented as brave soldiers and workers. They assisted in
nursing wounded soldiers, constructing underground tunnels and fighting the
enemy. Interestingly, between 1965 and 1975, 70-80% of the youth working on the
Ho Chi Minh trail were women.
Compared to this very direct and active participation of Vietnamese women in
the anti-imperial struggle, India women did not play a very dynamic role in the
nationalist struggle of India against Great Britain. They followed Gandhian
ideals of boycotting foreign goods and picketing liquor shops, but mainstream
politics was controlled by men; although women like Sarojini Naidu, Kamla Nehru
and Kasturba Gandhi were keenly involved.
Women played
a crucial role in the anti-imperial struggle in Vietnam. Women who rebelled
against social conventions were idealised and rebel women of the past were
likewise celebrated. Trieu Au was a popular figure in nationalist tales. In the
1960s, women were represented as brave soldiers and workers. They assisted in
nursing wounded soldiers, constructing underground tunnels and fighting the
enemy. Interestingly, between 1965 and 1975, 70-80% of the youth working on the
Ho Chi Minh trail were women.
Compared to this very direct and active participation of Vietnamese women in
the anti-imperial struggle, India women did not play a very dynamic role in the
nationalist struggle of India against Great Britain. They followed Gandhian
ideals of boycotting foreign goods and picketing liquor shops, but mainstream
politics was controlled by men; although women like Sarojini Naidu, Kamla Nehru
and Kasturba Gandhi were keenly involved.
