Children’s Books Exhibition “Bế bế bồng bồng”

10 am – 08 pm, Tues – Sun, 19 Oct – 03 Nov 2024
The Outpost Art Organisation
Tower B1 – Floor 2, Roman Plaza
Tố Hữu, Hà Nội
Registration link

From the organizer:

The “Bế bế bồng bồng” exhibition shines the spotlight on the theme of gender equality and childcare through children’s books. Tapping into the nostalgia of parents, teachers, and carers using a title that resonates with the popular nursery rhyme, the exhibit kicks off a series of 8 events on gender and caregiving themes organised by ECUE, the Vietnam Gender Equality Movement (VGEM), and The Initiative of Children’s Book Creative Content (ICBC), in commemoration of Vietnamese Women’s Day on October 20th. It is supported through ECUE by Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government.

“Bế bế bồng bồng” features 20 children’s books with content and illustrations conveying messages about gender and childcare in the family context from reputable publishers and book distributors in Vietnam.

The exhibition is initiated by children’s book educator, ICBC co-founder, and a VGEM member (VGEMER) Phạm Thị Hoài Anh, curated by Curator Phương Vũ, in collaboration with Kim Đồng Publishing House, Crabit Kidbooks, Thái Hà Book, Ehomebooks, Mọt sách Mogu, San Hô Books, and The Outpost Art Organisation.

According to Ms. Phạm Thị Hoài Anh, “The children’s book space opens up many interesting historical, social, and cultural observations about gender; especially gender stereotypes in stories and illustrations. Therefore, ICBC aims to create an exhibition of children’s books on gender and childcare to inspire and open up diverse, open perspectives for the community, especially those interested in gender education, children, and caregiving in families, schools, and communities.”

Curator Phương Vũ adds, “The exhibition creates a safe space for observations and reflections on the presence of different gender roles in caregiving relationships to be voiced. This can help parents and teachers open up many interesting and open discussions about gender with children when reading books; it is also a useful, in-depth reference and research material for those studying gender stereotypes in children’s literature.”

During the exhibition, ECUE, VGEM, ICBC, and VGEMERs will organise various events around the theme of gender and caregiving. For example, the thematic discussion “Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Picture Books about Family” will connect experts in gender equality, education, and literature to share and discuss gender stereotypes in children’s books from a professional perspective. The workshop series “Where is the Kitchen in Each Person?”, coordinated by VGEMER Bùi Duy Thanh Mai, involves interactive practices to bring the knowledge of caregivers to the community. The workshop “REO CHAT Storybooks: Ecosystem – Creating Gender around a Child” organised by several VGMERs within the REO vang GIEO group will discuss factors influencing children’s gender perspectives and caregiving from 0-18 years old.

According to Mr. Lê Quang Bình, director of ECUE, “Childcare, caring for the sick, or housework is very important for family, society, and national development but is often considered nameless work, undervalued, and even unpaid or not counted in GDP. Moreover, these tasks are often undertaken by women due to gender biases and stereotypes, creating inequalities and burdens for women. Through the Children’s Book Exhibition ‘BẾ BẾ BỒNG BỒNG’ and this series of events, we want to promote the participation of everyone in caregiving, as this not only shares the burden for women but also benefits children’s development, family bonding, and national growth.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony for the exhibit, Ms Majdie Hordern, First Secretary (Development) of the Australian Embassy Vietnam said: “Books, while often seen as simple stories, can be profound instruments in shaping the future. By showing fathers involved in household chores, mothers engaged in work outside the home, and a family where care is a shared responsibility, these stories teach that gender roles are not fixed. These messages influence not only the child reading or listening to the story—they reach their parents and caregivers too.”

ECUE, VGEM, and ICBC hope the exhibition will foster multidimensional exchanges and deep discussions about the presence and participation of different gender roles in caregiving through observations from children’s books, providing more perspectives and a basis for quality research or practices on this topic in the future.

Follow updates on event’s page.