TTLV: The Needs and Access to Support Services for Lesbian Women in Hanoi from a Social Work Perspective

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name: LE THI MAI TRANG

2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: November 12, 1990

4. Place of birth: Nghe An

5. Decision No. 885/QD-SDH dated April 25, 2014, of the Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, recognizing postgraduate students.

6. Changes in the training process: None

7. Thesis title:The Needs and Access to Support Services for Lesbians in Hanoi from a Social Work Perspective

8. Major: Social Work Code: 60 90 01 01

9. Scientific supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tuan AnhAffiliation: Department of Sociology - Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

10. Summary of the thesis results:

This study delves into the needs and access to social work support services for lesbian women in Hanoi, while also analyzing the professionalism of existing social work services for this sexual minority group. Based on an online survey of 109 lesbian women currently living in Hanoi, combined with in-depth interviews with 5 service users and 5 service providers, the study identified several key points as follows:

The firstMany lesbian women have faced and continue to face difficulties in life due to discrimination and prejudice in various social spaces such as the workplace, school, healthcare facilities, and family. This is a vulnerable group that particularly needs the attention of social work professionals.

MondayLesbian women have a need for a wide range of social services, especially psychological counseling, community support, and support for parents and relatives. Many services have been implemented to meet the needs of lesbian women. However, some needs, such as healthcare and employment support, still lack corresponding services.

TuesdayA large proportion of lesbian women are unaware of the social work services available to them. Access to social work support services for lesbian women remains generally low. In particular, lesbian women have a high need for psychological counseling and parental/family support, but in reality, they do not utilize these services.

Wednesday,Existing support activities for lesbians have taken on the characteristics of social work, particularly with services such as psychological counseling, capacity building, networking, and policy advocacy. However, these services still exhibit some limitations, lacking proper organizational models and adherence to certain principles of social work practice.

From this, the thesis also offers some recommendations to improve the professionalism of services so that lesbian women can receive better support from social work services.

11. Practical applications:

Not only does this research contribute to enriching knowledge about lesbians – a vulnerable group often viewed as still shrouded in mystery – but its findings are also hoped to provide foundational information, enabling service providers to improve the quality and effectiveness of support services for lesbians.

12. Future research directions:

- Social work services for sexual minorities in Vietnam today

- Providing mental health and reproductive health care for lesbian women in Vietnam.

- Violence between same-sex couples

13. Published works related to the thesis:

- Nguyen Tuan Anh, Le Thi Mai Trang. 2014.The needs and accessibility of lesbian women to social work services.Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference: “Practice and Integration in the Development of Social Work in Vietnam”. Hanoi: Youth Publishing House, pp. 473-482.

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Le Thi Mai Page 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: November 12, 1990 4. Place of birth: Nghe An

5. Admission decision number: 885/QD -SĐH Dated April 25, 2014

6. Changes in academic process: No

7. Official thesis title:“The needs and access to support services of lesbians living in Hanoi (a research based on social work perspective)”

8. Major: Social Work 9. Code: 60 90 01 01

10. Supervisors: Associate Professor Nguyen Tuan Anh - University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Faculty of Sociology

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

This thesis aims at studying the needs and access to support services of lesbians and analyzing the professional aspect of those social work services. Based on an online survey with 109 lesbians currently living in Hanoi, combined with in-depth interviews with 5 users and 5 service providers, the research has found a number of key points as follows:

Butfirst,A great number of lesbians have been experiencing difficulties in life due to stigma and discrimination against homosexuality which occurs in such different social spaces as workplaces, schools, clinics and home. They are indeed vulnerable subjects who should receive more attention from social work sector.

ButSecond, lesbians are in need of various types of social work services, especially psychological counseling, community connection and support to their parents and relatives. There have been a number of support services carried out in practice to meet those needs. However, there has been no corresponding services for such needs as health care and employment support.

- Third, a great number of lesbians do not know social work services currently available to support them. Generally, their access to support services remains rather low. In particular, many respondents really need counseling service and/or family support service, but they actually have not accessed to these ones yet.

Fourth,the support services have been available...social work aspects, especially with such services as psychological counsel, capacity building, community connection and advocacy. However, the services still show some limitations in facilitating and carrying out the principles of social work practice.

The thesis also suggests some recommendations to enhance the quality and quantity of support services so that the lesbians can enjoy better qualified social work ones.

12. Practical applicability, if any:

The research results contribute not only to enrich the knowledge about lesbians who are still mysterious subjects but also to improve the quality and quantity of social work services for lesbians.

13. Further research directions, if any:

- Social work services for sexual minority groups in Vietnam

- Mental health care and reproductive health care for lesbians in Vietnam.

- Dating violence among same-sex couples

14. Thesis-related publications:

- Nguyen Tuan Anh, Le Thi Mai Trang. 2014.The needs and access to social work services of lesbians.. International Conference Publishcation: “Reality and Integration of Social Work Development in Vietnam”. Hanoi: Youth Publishing House, pg.473-482.