My Vietnamese name is Phạm Phương Nguyên, which "Phạm" is my surname and "Nguyên" is my first name. However, it's quite hard to pronounce and is easily mistaken, so I use my English name Rosie, instead. I'm a 17 year old girl growing up in a small city in Vietnam. Living in a developing country where gender inequality still exists, I have to say that I'm very lucky to live in a family that values me for who I am, not for what my gender is. However, I know that not every girl has the chances that she deserves, and is treated unfairly, just because she's not a boy. When I was younger, I didn't think much about how different men and women are treated. But growing up, seeing how many women are automatically have the responsibility of doing all the housework beside their job, seeing how girls are told to be "as girly as possible" so that they can get married, seeing how a woman is told that her husband cheated on her because she's not beautiful, I know that I have to stand up. I have to do something. So I decided to write. I choose to write to express my emotion, and to use my words to fight for what I believe in. I believe in a society that women don't have to fight anymore, and I believe that we can make this happen, together.
My Vietnamese name is Phạm Phương Nguyên, which "Phạm" is my surname and "Nguyên" is my first name. However, it's quite hard to pronounce and is easily mistaken, so I use my English name Rosie, instead. I'm a 17 year old girl growing up in a small city in Vietnam. Living in a developing country where gender inequality still exists, I have to say that I'm very lucky to live in a family that values me for who I am, not for what my gender is. However, I know that not every girl has the chances that she deserves, and is treated unfairly, just because she's not a boy. When I was younger, I didn't think much about how different men and women are treated. But growing up, seeing how many women are automatically have the responsibility of doing all the housework beside their job, seeing how girls are told to be "as girly as possible" so that they can get married, seeing how a woman is told that her husband cheated on her because she's not beautiful, I know that I have to stand up. I have to do something. So I decided to write. I choose to write to express my emotion, and to use my words to fight for what I believe in. I believe in a society that women don't have to fight anymore, and I believe that we can make this happen, together.