Ms Hoang Thi Hai Ly, 39, tells us about her experiences working as an unexploded ordnance (UXO) technician.
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Employing women – and proving their ability to undertake demanding work in difficult conditions – raises their status amongst the communities they come from, and encourages other employers to do the same.
Of the current 110 national staff in the Vietnam programme, more than 25 per cent are female.
Do you have children?
I have three children, one girl and two boys.
When did you train to become a UXO clearance technician?
November 2001.
Why are you doing this job?
I want to do something really good for my homeland. I believe that
clearance work brings peace and safety to our lives. I still remember
how happy I was on the day I was recruited.
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National
importance:
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What is good about it?
I feel happy to contribute to society, to be a helpful citizen. I love
my work and love seeing changes to society when I’ve been part of
making them happen.
And the difficulties?
The weather. Hot and dry south-west winds during summer, while
the temperatures can be very low in winter.
Can you describe your working day?
I am present at the office to pick up the equipment in early morning,
then arrive at the clearance site around 7am. I have lunch around
10.40 and resume work at 12. I wrap up work at around 3.40pm
and get back to the office. I am normally at home at around 5 after
buying something for dinner.
How long will you work in this role?
I want to work as a deminer until there are no more bombs in
my homeland.
What will you do afterwards?
At that time of my life it might be hard for me to find another job,
so I will try to do something that can support my family and my
children. Cattle or poultry breeding, maybe.
Do you have any other comments about being a woman
working as a UXO clearance technician?
Of course our physical strength may be not good as the male
staff, but I believe that we can work as well as the male
counterparts.
[Top: Mrs Hoang Thi Hai Ly. Photo: MAG Vietnam]
More on MAG's female staff:
- Q&A with female deminers in Cambodia
- Independent woman: feature on a female deminer in D.R. Congo
- In hot pursuit: MAG Lao's first female driver
- Lao PDR all-female clearance team profiles
MAG thanks the following current donors to its Vietnam programme: NVESD; Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State; Talisman Energy; UK Department for International Development (DFID) / UKaid. Click on Tags below for related articles.
11 May 2010
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