Education For All – The facts and Challenges for the Vietnamese Women's Museum. Presented at the 5th Asia-Europe Museum Network (ASEMUS) Meeting General Conference 2012, Seoul, Korea. http://asemus.museum  

1. EDUCATION FOR ALL – THE FACT AND CHALLENGES
FOR VIETNAMESE WOMEN’S MUSEUM
Le Thi Thuy Hoan
The Vietnamese Women’s Museum

2. 1. Question
Attracting visitors is one of the most common concerns of
Vietnamese museums, especially when museums face the
challenges of a budget and the competition from the variety
of other choices for people to visit. Education for all is the
slogan for all museums in Vietnam and the Vietnamese
Women’s Museum in particular.

3. 2. Brief introduction about Vietnamese
Women’s Museum
 Located in the center of Hanoi, only 5 minutes walking from
Hoan Kiem lake
 Established in 1987 as a part of The Vietnamese Women’s
Union
 Officially opened to public in 1995
 Closed to renovate in 2006
 Reopened in 2010
 The museum presents the cultural diversity of Vietnam and the
significant contribution of Vietnamese women to the country.

4. Image of the museum

5. Exhibition corners
A part of the theme A part of the theme
“Women in family” “Women in history”

6. Exhibition corners
A part of the theme A part of the theme
“Women in family” “Women’s fashion”

7. 3. Education in the Museum
The Vietnamese Women’s Museum considers education as
an important function in museum’s activities. We have
made considerable efforts to improve education in different
ways as follows:

8. 3.1. Renovate the permanent exhibition
After 11 years being opened to public, annual visitor’s
numbers showed that the Museum failed to meet different
needs of visitors. It was closed in 4 years from 2006 to 2010
for the renovation with the budget from Vietnam
Government and the sponsorship from FORD Foundation.
It was reopened in October 2010 in order to offer better
services to visitors.

9. Museum’s images after renovations
1995 2006

10. Image of the Museum now
2012 2012

11. 3.2. Renovate special exhibitions
Special exhibitions are good chances to develop the
relationship with the community
Renovate special exhibitions in different ways such as:
-Approach social contemporary issues;
-Encourage the participation of the community in museum’s
activities;
-Cooperate with NGO or other institutions to create special
exhibitions;

12. Approach contemporary issues
 Willing to approach sensitive and hot issues that attract
the attention of general public.
 Some examples:
- Street vendors – 2009-2010 (the exhibition was opened at the
same time Hanoi government approved Decree 76 that bans small
business on pavements and street vendors)
- Single mothers – 2011 (provides a sight into lives of single mothers
who were looked upon by most people in Vietnam society)
- Shining night - 2012 (presents the lives of immigrants from rural
areas to the capital to earn their living)

13. The participation of the community
 Base on different purposes to link with special groups of
community. One of the main targets is marginalized
women groups (single mothers; immigrants women who
suffer social violence and discrimination…)
 Set up groups of supporters
 All consultancy and ideas from related people are welcome
in the museum (ritual masters; students, street vendors…).
 The community takes part in museum’s activities: survey,
research, consultation, field work, fabrication, installation,
exhibition and education (voice of insiders are appreciated)

14. The special Exhibition “Worshipping Mother Goddess Pure
heart – Beauty – Joy” - 2012

15. A part of the exhibition “Worshipping Mother Goddess –
Pure heart – Beauty - Joy”

16. Brief information about this exhibition
 Presents a folk pure Viet belief
 It was considered as a social critical exhibition to the
Decree number 75/2010 approved by the President that
bans practicing belief.
 Funded by FORD foundation
 A big community took part in the exhibition from survey,
research, practice to installation

17. The temporary exhibition “Portraits of love and courage” –
July 2012

18. Brief information about the exhibition
“Portraits of love and courage”
 All portraits were painted by an old female artist who is
former soldier and journalist;
 She made her own journey from the South to the North
(35.600km, 63 different provinces and cities) on her
small scooter;
 She met around 1000 heroic mothers of Vietnam, talked
with them then painted their portraits;
 She refused all sponsorships and donated paintings to the
museum

19. The artist
The artist on the way of the The artist and a Heroic
journey Mother of Vietnam

20. 3.3. Focusing on communicative materials
Some materials The logo of the Museum
 Logo
 Webpage
 Educational materials
relevant to the subjects:
work sheets, information
leaflets, brochures…

21. 3.4. Educational activities
 Guided tours
 Events for school children at the museum (New year, mid
autumn, National Day, Children Day…): meet and talk
with historic figures, celebrate festivals, practice
traditional games…
 Discovery corner
 Teaching history in the museum

22. In the discovery corner

23. Discovery corner

24. Interactive corner

25. 3.5. Cooperation for better education
 Take advantages of all advertising channels like
magazines and web Pages for free of charge
advertisement; VOV for education on radio
 Cooperate with NGO or institutions, schools to organize
educational activities
 Cooperate with the Vietnam National Administration of
Tourism to welcome foreign visitors to museum
combining with traditional performances

26. 3.6. Out reach programs
 Museum to school
 Educational activities outside the museum
 Mobile exhibitions
 Participatory exhibits for children…

27. 4. Challenges
4.1. Challenges in legal framework
Legally museums are not considered as an educational
institution in Vietnam
Some parts in the exhibitions are out of date, politically
exhibited, lack of interactive activities.

28. 4.2. Other challenges
 The Museums hasn’t met the needs of the public due to: lack
of finance and advanced knowledge; administrative
regulations are too complicated and restrictive .
 People’s habit: visiting museums is not a regular activity for
the general public; they are reluctant to accept the fee.
 Gender’s discrimination: men or even young boys consider the
museum is a place for women and girls only.

29. 5. Solutions
 Professional development of staff
 Building partnerships
 Policy & strategy
 From the current condition of the museum, strongly focus on:
- Organize more temporary exhibitions to make the museum
more interactive and closely relate to daily life.
- Attract the participations from the public to different activities
of museum.
- Allow the museum to be more friendly orientated and
interactive

30. Thank you for your attention!