Digital Divide Data News
Staff Profile: Chaiphet
Women in Laos generally experience a lower standard of living than men and suffer from gender disparities. They tend to work more, earn less, carry the primary responsibility for securing food for the family, and are scarcely recognized for their efforts. Fewer girls than boys are enrolled in school, and the proportion falls steadily as the level of education increases. You help us change this by supporting DDD.
Posted on 10.10.27 at 4:02 AM by Marianne Gadeberg
Chaiphet Souliyongyan, employed by DDD in Vientiane, personifies the change we aim for. She distinguishes herself from most of her countrywomen (and –men) by both attending university and having a promising career at the young age of 21.
At DDD, we strive to bridge the gap between genders by giving women the same opportunities as men. Overall, at least 50% of the operators we accept are young women and half of DDD’s staff and managers are women.
Chaiphet’s exposure to the gender disparities that pervade Laos started at age 12, when her mother divorced her alcoholic husband. Divorce is still stigmatized in Laos, and there is no legal framework in place to guarantee the financial security of a woman who leaves a marriage. After the divorce, Chaiphet’s dismantled family moved in with her uncle, and her mother established a small tailoring business.
Before Chaiphet enrolled in university, her...
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