Thuy Didn’t Dare to Dream. Then She Found GLOW Club.

Girls around the world are held back from achieving their dreams due to pervasive and damaging gender norms. When society constantly reinforces the notion that girls are weaker and less capable than boys, it stifles their aspirations and restricts their vision of a future they can shape for themselves. These limiting beliefs not only undermine their confidence, but also deny girls the opportunity to pursue their full potential and live lives of their own design. 

At Global Girls Glow, we know that girls have the power to lead our world — and we’re determined to make sure they know it, too. In Vietnam, 16-year-old Thuy realized her power in our signature program, GLOW Club, and is now committed to shattering gender norms in her community. 

This is her story. 

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. 

Overcoming Stereotypes and Finding Hope 

My family includes four people: My parents, me, and my sister. My mother is a garment worker, my father is a mechanic, and my sister is 12 years old. My family also grows agricultural products, such as corn, cassava, and rice, and raises various kinds of animals like chickens. 

Where I live, there are some bad stereotypes about women. They are deeply ingrained in the consciousness of some citizens here since we are very young, so it affects the development of young women like me. 

Some people here think that women can’t do big things, like work as an architect, doctor, or teacher. They think women should just stay at home, work in the house, and help men do household chores. 

Thuy is determined to be a positive female role model for her younger sister.

Growing up, I felt very self-conscious. I was very timid and I didn’t dare to dream because I was afraid that I wouldn’t be successful or I wouldn’t have success in the future. 

I spent all my time thinking about those words, and I really couldn’t concentrate on my studies, so my grades were very low. I even had to retake an important exam because my score was low. 

At that time I felt very disappointed. But later on, I found GLOW Club, and it changed my life completely. 

A Place to Be Me

When I started GLOW Club, at first I felt very shy and not confident. But as I opened up in the club, I started to feel free and be more comfortable because the club is a safe environment. 

The experience has been unforgettable. The club mentors were extremely dedicated and friendly to me. They helped me feel that the club is a place where I can just be me. It is a place that changed me completely from a negative girl to a positive girl. It helped me to overcome. 

I learned lessons that I will remember for a long time. First, I learned about strong women with a strong will to overcome adversity. Two successful women visited our club and interacted with us. They shared about their difficulties and how they overcame their challenges to be where they are today, which taught me the importance of strength and perseverance. 

Through GLOW Club, Thuy recognized her power as a girl.

The second lesson I learned is how to manage my emotions. I used to be a very sensitive and shy person who cared a lot about the words and comments of others. But learning how to manage my own emotions has been very helpful to me in focusing on my studies, and I think it will be helpful for me in the workplace, too. 

These two lessons have really helped me to focus on studying at school, and to confidently stand up and present my ideas in class. Now, I can stand up and speak my voice in front of a group and present the ideas I want to say. This has helped me improve my grades, to be confident, and not be affected by people’s negative comments. 

Now that I’ve been in GLOW Club, I always have positive thoughts. I’m more optimistic, my words and actions are more positive, and with my friends, I’ve built healthy relationships that are long-lasting. 

Besides that, my academic results have also improved. I never thought I could read, but now I can conquer it. 

Let Girls Be Girls 

My dream now is to become a successful working woman. I implore my community to let girls be girls. 

Girls and women face so much discrimination in society. Many are not confident about their appearance or gender. 

But I want to try harder and tap into my inner values to overcome adversity and develop myself to be better. Every day, I will be a better version of myself. I am already better than I was yesterday. 

I hope that in the future, I will have a chance to become a GLOW Club mentor, and I wish to help other girls have the opportunity to learn and develop themselves: To learn and be confident just like me.

Global G.L.O.W. mentors girls around the world to become powerful advocates and confident leaders. Since inception, our GLOW Clubs have ignited the power of over 91,000 girls to do 3 transformative things: increase their confidence, strengthen their voice, and build their power. 

This transformation story has been made possible through our collaboration with Giving It Back to Kids, who coordinate GLOW Clubs for girls throughout Vietnam. Support incredible girl advocates like Thuy by investing in the transformative power of mentorship at globalgirlsglow.org/donate.