Setting a fine example

Emboldened by her Meryl Williams Fellowship, Vietnamese researcher and educator Hai Ly Hoang is challenging traditional attitudes in her own life and that of her students.

"One of the most important things that the MWF program gives me is confidence in myself and what a female researcher can do," says Ly, who lectures in horticulture at the Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry. "I now feel confident to pursue agricultural research and that I am not alone. I know that I always have the encouragement and support of my mentor, Dr Nozomi Kawarazuka, and the GEAReD and ACIAR teams."

Ly was awarded a prestigious Meryl Williams Fellowship in 2020. The fellowship is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and supports female agricultural researchers across the Indo-Pacific to improve their leadership and management skills.

"I feel like I have stepped out into the light and can now speak my voice and express myself," Ly says. "The program has given me great motivation to achieve my next career goals."

The 2020 Meryl Williams Fellows from Vietnam stand with Dr Meryl Williams. January 2020

Ly (far left) alongside Dr Tran Thi Thuy Ha, Dr Meryl Williams, Trinh Thanh Thao and Dr Thi Hoa Pham.

While combining teaching, research and the care of her young family - Ly has just had her second child - poses certain challenges, she says her new perspective has been enlightening.

"Many female researchers still face pressures," Ly says. "Traditional Asian views hold that women don't need to be successful in their careers and that their best place is in the kitchen. Families don't always support them to pursue research.

"But attitudes are slowly changing. As society develops, female agricultural scientists are more respected and enjoying a better work environment."

Still, fewer and fewer female students are studying agriculture, which Ly is dedicated to addressing.

"I want to show them their value and the new horizons of science," she says. "What I love about teaching these young people is that I not only present to them new agricultural techniques, but hopefully also inspire them to pursue higher education."

Change happens slowly in the face of entrenched social attitudes, as demonstrated by one of Ly's female students.

"She had rushed to get married during college and quit her studies," Ly says. "When she asked me for advice, I told her about the important role of education and advised her to come back to finish college. She returned to the university last year and is about to deliver her thesis to graduate.

"I am proud that she has shown you can study and take care of your family at the same time. I'm also happy that my advice can help someone change their life, and hope to see more female students going on to undertake postgraduate studies."

According to Ly, the leadership, management skills and gender equality knowledge she has gained through the MWF has equipped her to take better advantage of research, teaching and project management opportunities herself.

"Last year I became one of three researchers from my university to receive a research grant from the Ministry of Education and Training," Ly says. "With the support of my MWF mentor Dr Nozomi, I have also received a small research grant from UNE to conduct a project about organic farming and I've had an article published in the Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. These are major professional developments for me."

Ly's research focuses on plant physiology and particularly the role of secondary metabolites in plant adaptation to environmental change. However, it has been impeded because of her gender. "Female researchers often have little exposure to domestic and foreign research funding sources," she says. "In some cases, we have few opportunities to increase our income, even though the time we spend at work is the same as that of men. As a result, some women lose their motivation to work and accept the standards that society places on them."

Ly would like to see more women in Asia assisted to "realise their true value to society and their families". "Programs for women in research like the MWF should be encouraged and expanded; this program has such a positive effect on the desire of women to succeed in research and to fight for gender equality," she says.

 And even the recent birth of her second child will not slow Ly down. "It hasn't changed my outlook on work," she says. "We are very excited to welcome our little daughter, but I still plan on undertaking teaching and research at the university."

 Written by Amanda Burdon.

The Meryl Williams Fellowship contributes to more secure food systems by providing women in agricultural science with greater access to resources and decision-making, building collaborative networks, supporting career advancement and driving institutional progress towards gender equity. You can learn more about the fellowship at https://www.geared.global/aboutmwf