For development programs, empowerment has become a familiar term which has been used as an indicator for success and sustainability of the program. This concept is not new in Vietnam, however, there is much controversy concerning the analysis, interpretation and use of language associated with it. A number of terms in Vietnamese has been used to describe the concept such as "nang quyen”, “trao quyen”, “nang cao vi the”. To help readers better understand this concept and to make empowerment a reality, the Resource Centre on Gender, Sexuality and Health would devote Newsletter No.4 on discussions related to the concept and measurement of empowerment, and introduction of potential interventions in Vietnam which help empower disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.

To help readers understand empowerment properly, two closely related concepts will also be introduced which are "agency" and social context. "Agency" -the ability to make meaningful decisions - can not be separated with empowerment. We can identify empowerment only through the expression of "agency" of individuals or groups. Meanwhile, social context – a constantly changed factor–is the basis for determining whether a performance is empowerment or not. empowerment does not exist independently and has no absolute value. It can only be identified and make sense in specific context.

The two World Bank books in Book review section will provide information on empowerment concepts that have been used and their measured indicators. Both books point out the challenges and lessons learned on the application of conceptual frameworks and indicators in practice. In the first book, Ruth Alsop and her co-authors provide a simple conceptual framework of empowerment which can be used in both academic analysis and practical applications. This conceptual framework emphasizes the power relationship which always change and interact between the "agency" and the "structure". Meanwhile, in the second book, Deepa Narayan emphasizes the different interpretation of empowerment from two perspectives of the "process" and "result". She distinguishes four different levels of empowerment -individual, household, community/local and society/national.

In researches and interventions section, the series research papers will provide a solid analysis of empowerment, agency and autonomy across specific groups such as ethnic minorities, women suffered from violence, trafficked women and girls, HIV people, sex workers, migrants, etc. The authors of these research papers challenge traditional perspectives that look at these groups as weak and should be saved by others.

To illustrate the theoretical discussion, two interventions for empowerment of Vietnamese women will be introduced–one is women with political participation, and one of women suffered from domestic violence. These examples illustrate the interrelationship between "agency" and practices/decisions of one person in his/her specific individual and social context. Besides, they show the importance of the necessary to consider these factors when analyzing and interpreting empowerment.

At the end of the Newsletter, as usual, there will be information about resource centre’s other events and materials. We hope that readers will find useful information in this newsletter. We also look forward to receiving your comments to improve our newsletter. Attach file here are The Newsletter ‘Gender & Sexuality Review’by English and Vietnamese version

Hopefully, the information in this newsletter will help you find such information. We also expect to receive your comments, feedbacks and reviews from you to make the newsletter more useful.

If you have any suggestions please send to our address:

Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP)

No 2, Alley 49/41 Huynh Thuc Khang Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi

Phone: 844- 3577 0261 Fax: 844 – 3577 0260

Email: gsh@ccihp.org, nga@ccihp.org

Website: http://www.cihp.vn/ hoặc http://www.cihp.org.vn/

Many thanks,

MD, MSc, Hoang Tu Anh,

Director