Doug Going Photography

Women Working in Rice Fields in Tam Duong, Vietnam

How Green Is My Valley

Tam Duong, Vietnam

Rice Fields in Northern VietnamAs in America, farming in Vietnam is a family affair, and young girls are not exempt from the hard work. In fact, tending the rice paddies is a job done primarily by females. Rice production accounts for 70% of the work force in Vietnam and most of the work is still done by hand, such as irrigating the fields with woven baskets full of water. Here young girls maintain the fields by pulling weeds and individually transplanting seedlings to other fields. The classic conical hats they wear protect them from the harsh rays of the sun. However, there is little relief from the long hours of squatting, which is particularly backbreaking work, especially for a young child.