On reviewing the results of research activities in 2013 and discussing research plans for 2014 of the Institute for Family and Gender Studies (IFGS), on 30th December 2013, IFGS held a conference on reviewing IFGS's research activities 2013 and research plans for 2014 in Ha Noi. The conference was attended by all IFGS researchers of all generations and representatives from Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS). Associate Professor Nguyen Huu Minh, Director of IFGS, reviewed the results of research activities done by IFGS in 2013 and presented the research plans for 2014. Accordingly, in 2013, IFGS carried out the following research: 03 ministerial-leveled studies on: - Family relations in Northern Central region in the context of industrialization, modernization and international integration; - Vietnamese family value systems from sociological perspectives: A case study in Thai Binh province; - Conceptions and influencing factors of family happiness: A case study of Quang Ngai province. These are emerging issues in Viet Nam recently and absent in recent publications. These ministerial level studies will be done in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, the studies have completed desk study tasks, research tools and field surveys. Data analysis and report writing will be completed in 2014. In 2013, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences resumed the implementation of institute-leveled studies which aim at enhancing the research and analytical skills of researchers, especially young and mid-career researchers in an effort to develop the next-generation qualified researchers. Given this goal, in 2013, IFGS has carried out 09 institute-leveled studies on: - Some factors influencing the relationship between the elderly and children in families: A case study in Bac Ninh province - Children's rights to health care: Some emerging issues in Viet Nam - Value orientation of adolescents and young people in traditional handicraft villages in the Red River Delta in sustainable development of traditional handicraft villages - Some issues on researching violence against the elderly - Current gender issues in informal sector - Gender and employment in rural areas since WTO accession - Child care in the family from gender perspectives in the globalization context - Vietnamese children's access to kindergarten education at present time through recent national surveys - Divorce: Some theoretical issues, methods and research topics The implementation of this system of institute-leveled studies has proven efficient in the way that it creates conditions and opportunities for developing research skills for researchers while providing evidence and research findings in different thematic topics for IFGS's research plans. In 2013, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences assigned IFGS to design the two research programs at national level. The first program is to research comprehensively on Vietnamese families in the context of industrialization, modernization and international integration. The research results are expected to provide inputs for the country in completing the goal of developing wealthy, progressive and happy families. The second research is on happiness and national indicators of happiness in Vietnam. So far, the outline and design of these two research programs have submitted to the Prime Minister for approval of implementation. In addition to annual research projects, IFGS cooperated with other institutions and organizations in several research activities: - Participating in field surveys for the Population Health Survey 2013 which was coordinated by Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and American Social Sciences Research Council. - Cooperating with Vietnam Women's Union in writing a research report on appropriate nutrition for young children in Vietnam - Collaborating with Hanoi Committee of Ethnicity in carrying out a survey on Cultural life of ethnic minority people in Hanoi - Partnership with Department of Family under Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in publishing a book on domestic violence situation and solutions in Vietnam. - Working with Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in implementing a survey on labour division in the households amongst staff of Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. On the occasion that the year 2013 was declared as the Year of Vietnamese Families, IFGS organized successfully international workshop: "Vietnamese Families in the Context of Industrialisation, Modernisation and International Integration from A Comparative Perspective" on 7th - 8th November 2013 in Hanoi. The workshop which was attended by Vietnamese and international researchers and policy makers of family issues provided forum for several discussion and academic exchanges between Vietnamese researchers and international scholars. Conference participants have discussed and proposed research plan of the IFGS for the year 2014. This plan aims to provide theoretical and practical arguments for building and implementing policies on family, gender equality, women and children issues.

The process of gender socialization plays an important role on influencing how women and men involved in political life. In Vietnam, this process is still immersed in a Confucian context that pulls women back in the political arena. Gender norms formed in the past are continuing to put pressure on women in a harder way than on men. Consequently, despite many efforts of the Vietnamese government, its Communist Party, and related agencies over more than half a century since the August Revolution of 1945, Vietnamese women have attained limited status and power in the political field, especially in leadership roles. This article provides information on how such gender norms were formulated under cultural context throughout history and their influences on how political elites feel about women’s political participation in Vietnam today.

Like many other developing countries, Vietnam has already begun to establish social protection systems. However, Vietnam' current social protection system is complex and faces many challenges. It can be regarded as low coverage, inadequacy, lack of efficiency, coordination and transparency. In recent years, Vietnam has increasingly embraced integration, it is not surprising that social protection has become an important public policy issue. To clarify some issues, challenges and prospects of the social protection in Vietnam, this article focuses on the growing need for restructuring the social protection of Vietnam and analyses the current pillars of this social protection system including the social assistance, the social insurance, and the policies and programmes on labour market. The research findings suggest that good management systems should be developed to ensure that services under the three pillars are friendly and can be reached by the most needy people. And the government has implemented social protection policies and carried out the poverty reduction programs to address this emerging social consequences.