De Ar commune in Gia Lai province, like many ethnic minority remote areas, struggles with limited access to healthcare services, particularly for expectant mothers. Cultural norms favor home births over hospital deliveries, leading to a maternal mortality rate two to three times higher than the national average. Hnhach, a woman of Ba Na ethnicity, calls De Ar commune her home. Her life has always been deeply entwined...

62 older people in the province of Thanh Hoa, Viet Nam are now able to provide better long-term care to their elderly friends and neighbours after being equipped with basic knowledge and skills on caring for ageing populations by a UNFPA-funded pilot project.

“I married into a family that still believes in patriarchy. I was beaten by my husband since the early years of my marriage. But it was me who his family members blamed for provoking his anger. I suffered silently and convinced myself that it was my fate. Fortunately, the service providers at the One Stop Service Centre have offered me a second life”, says Mai, a retired teacher and a survivor of domestic violence.