In February 2019, our self-funded team of ten individuals from Singapore, embarked on a pioneering expediting to trek across the world's largest cave, Son Doong, in the heart of the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park in Central Vietnam. The objective of the expedition was to raise awareness and funds (S$50,000) for underprivileged women affected by climate change.
Vietnam is among 10 countries most affected by climate change and disasters, according to Global Climate Risk Index 2015. Due to their gender-defined roles in society and increasing “feminisation” of the agriculture as men move to the cities for better jobs, Vietnamese women are more likely to carry the heaviest burdens and suffer the most from environmental degradation. The team fundraised for UN Women Vietnam’s projects focused on the economic empowerment of women in rural areas of Vietnam, ultimately helping them transform their livelihoods to be resilient to climate change.
Vietnam is among 10 countries most affected by climate change and disasters, according to Global Climate Risk Index 2015. Due to their gender-defined roles in society and increasing “feminisation” of the agriculture as men move to the cities for better jobs, Vietnamese women are more likely to carry the heaviest burdens and suffer the most from environmental degradation. The team fundraised for UN Women Vietnam’s projects focused on the economic empowerment of women in rural areas of Vietnam, ultimately helping them transform their livelihoods to be resilient to climate change.
Accompanying the eight women on the team were two male leadership development experts and athletes: ex-Israeli army officer Yehuda BenSimon and Singaporean extreme sportsman Thaddeus Lawrence - known for successfully completing the 4 Desert Races, a total of 1,000 kilometres through the hottest, coldest, windiest and driest deserts on earth.
This expedition required more than 25 porters, safety advisors and guides. The caves can only be reached by trekking across Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO-listed dense jungle area, which contains some of the oldest limestone mountains in Asia. The team traveled through the remote Ban Doong ethnic minority village, which has just 40 inhabitants.
The Song Doong cave was originally carved by an underground river, which still flows through the chasm. The 5km tunnel is a perilous playground for experienced cavers, with 80-metre tall stalagmites – the biggest in the world – and baseball-sized “cave pearls” - spherical calcium deposits - that litter the floor. The cave is so large that it can fit a Boeing B747 flying through its largest passage.
This was an expedition unlike any other. Less people have seen the inside of the Son Doong Cave than have stood on the summit of Mount Everest! It is a masterpiece of nature with otherworldly landscapes, enormous stalagmites and statuesque stalactites – hanging from the ceiling and rising from the ground like alien species.
The cave also has its own ecosystem, which includes a jungle and misty clouds that envelop certain areas of the cave to create an eerie scenery. The fossil passages gave the team the opportunity to understand the formation of this ancient limestone. The expedition was an adventure from start to finish, using ropes to climb into the entrance of the cave, as well as to exit and climb out via the Great Wall of Vietnam, a calcite facade totalling 90m in height.
This expedition required more than 25 porters, safety advisors and guides. The caves can only be reached by trekking across Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO-listed dense jungle area, which contains some of the oldest limestone mountains in Asia. The team traveled through the remote Ban Doong ethnic minority village, which has just 40 inhabitants.
The Song Doong cave was originally carved by an underground river, which still flows through the chasm. The 5km tunnel is a perilous playground for experienced cavers, with 80-metre tall stalagmites – the biggest in the world – and baseball-sized “cave pearls” - spherical calcium deposits - that litter the floor. The cave is so large that it can fit a Boeing B747 flying through its largest passage.
This was an expedition unlike any other. Less people have seen the inside of the Son Doong Cave than have stood on the summit of Mount Everest! It is a masterpiece of nature with otherworldly landscapes, enormous stalagmites and statuesque stalactites – hanging from the ceiling and rising from the ground like alien species.
The cave also has its own ecosystem, which includes a jungle and misty clouds that envelop certain areas of the cave to create an eerie scenery. The fossil passages gave the team the opportunity to understand the formation of this ancient limestone. The expedition was an adventure from start to finish, using ropes to climb into the entrance of the cave, as well as to exit and climb out via the Great Wall of Vietnam, a calcite facade totalling 90m in height.
“While climate change is a global phenomenon, its impact is not spread across a level playing field. Its effects are felt locally, and poor people suffer the most. Among the world’s 1.3 billion people living in poverty, the majority are women. That is why it is vital that we support and empower more women to play a central role in decision-making at all levels of society. Only then will environmental sustainability become a true reality,” said HER Planet Earth Founder, Christine Amour-Levar, who wants to see ‘gender’ at the heart of climate action.
Climate change and environmental degradation are known barriers to sustainable development, augmenting existing inequalities, and gender often remains the untold story behind climate change. In many countries, women are among the most vulnerable to climate change, partly because they make up the larger share of the agricultural workforce and tend to have access to fewer income-earning jobs. The destructive forces of nature, impacted by rising global temperatures and manifest in cyclones, floods and other extreme weather conditions, can act as negative force multipliers in societies already riven by inequality.
HER Planet Earth’s objective is to inspire people to leave their comfort zones, including their families and homes for a certain period of time, while pushing their limits in an effort to rally support for a worthy cause. At the core of the organisation’s culture is a commitment to empower underprivileged women, a passion for adventure and a deep respect and love of nature. HER Planet Earth seeks to take participants on pioneering, self-funded, expeditions around the world, so that they can make new discoveries, flourish as individuals, but most importantly, contribute to society. By travelling in such challenging conditions, the team hopes to bring international attention to the need for societies, governments and corporations to get involved and help support climate action and women empowerment.
Climate change and environmental degradation are known barriers to sustainable development, augmenting existing inequalities, and gender often remains the untold story behind climate change. In many countries, women are among the most vulnerable to climate change, partly because they make up the larger share of the agricultural workforce and tend to have access to fewer income-earning jobs. The destructive forces of nature, impacted by rising global temperatures and manifest in cyclones, floods and other extreme weather conditions, can act as negative force multipliers in societies already riven by inequality.
HER Planet Earth’s objective is to inspire people to leave their comfort zones, including their families and homes for a certain period of time, while pushing their limits in an effort to rally support for a worthy cause. At the core of the organisation’s culture is a commitment to empower underprivileged women, a passion for adventure and a deep respect and love of nature. HER Planet Earth seeks to take participants on pioneering, self-funded, expeditions around the world, so that they can make new discoveries, flourish as individuals, but most importantly, contribute to society. By travelling in such challenging conditions, the team hopes to bring international attention to the need for societies, governments and corporations to get involved and help support climate action and women empowerment.
UN Women Vietnam
Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
Over the past 30 years, Vietnam has transformed from one of the poorest to one of the most dynamic emerging countries in the world. While the majority of Vietnamese citizens have benefited from the rapid growth, gender norms and stereotypes have prevented many women from reaching their full potential. UN Women in Vietnam works to promote gender equality across all spheres of society by enhancing women’s economic empowerment, increasing women’s resilience and adaption to climate change, ending violence against women and girls as well as advocating for gender equality to become a key part of national development planning and budget allocation.
Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
Over the past 30 years, Vietnam has transformed from one of the poorest to one of the most dynamic emerging countries in the world. While the majority of Vietnamese citizens have benefited from the rapid growth, gender norms and stereotypes have prevented many women from reaching their full potential. UN Women in Vietnam works to promote gender equality across all spheres of society by enhancing women’s economic empowerment, increasing women’s resilience and adaption to climate change, ending violence against women and girls as well as advocating for gender equality to become a key part of national development planning and budget allocation.
Women and agriculture in Vietnam
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The project our fundraising efforts will support
Team Profiles
The team of this HER Planet Earth Vietnam 2019 Expedition was formed by ten intrepid individuals of diverse nationalities and backgrounds. While they are all incredibly well accomplished in their careers, they are equally passionate about protecting the environment and empowering underprivileged women. To read the team bios please click here.
To donate to the mission please visit the team’s fundraising page here.
The team of this HER Planet Earth Vietnam 2019 Expedition was formed by ten intrepid individuals of diverse nationalities and backgrounds. While they are all incredibly well accomplished in their careers, they are equally passionate about protecting the environment and empowering underprivileged women. To read the team bios please click here.
To donate to the mission please visit the team’s fundraising page here.