Abstract

How is rape perceived and handled by members of the Dao and Hmông minority groups in Lào Cai, a northern province of Vietnam? How are cultural notions relating to sexuality, female virginity and marriage interpreted, played out and contested among victims’ family members, their wider kin networks, and the authorities responsible for upholding the law at the grass-roots level? In particular, how is the social notion of honour used as a patriarchal tool in influencing decisions about whether or not to press charges against rapists or not? The results of fieldwork in Lào Cai during 2007 are reported.

pdf

Share