Gen Z female students trek through the mountains to sow the seeds of gender equality.

TPO - While many young people are busy preparing for Tet (Lunar New Year) and planning for rest and family reunions, 16-year-old Do Ngoc Linh is backpacking in the mountains to carry out her Fempower charity project, sowing the seeds of gender equality for girls in ethnic minority areas.

Giving a voice to gender equality for ethnic minority girls.

On February 7-8, 2026 (the 19th and 20th of the 12th lunar month), Ngoc Linh and her colleagues from the Fempower project, high school students from Hanoi, were present in Hang Kia, Mai Chau, Phu Tho province. In the cold highland weather, the small classrooms buzzed with laughter. Some children held paintbrushes for the first time, painting their dreams. Others bravely stepped onto the stage to practice folk dance moves. And there were mothers sitting and learning to spell each letter in the literacy class, their eyes sparkling with hope. Linh and the project members busied themselves teaching, organizing games, giving gifts, and interviewing women who had been married before.

Interviews with women who had been married before reaching adulthood were conducted during a trip to Hang Kia, Mai Chau, Phu Tho province.

This is one of the meaningful trips and activities within the Fempower non-profit social project series, founded in 2024 by Do Ngoc Linh (born in 2008), a female student, with the desire to narrow the gender gap for girls in ethnic minority areas through raising awareness of gender equality. Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 10, Linh and her fellow high school students in Hanoi implement practical activities to eliminate gender stereotypes, care for the material and spiritual well-being, and protect and care for women and girls, aiming for a more equal future for ethnic minority communities.

According to Linh, through its diverse and meaningful activities, the Fempower project helps girls find their voice and the confidence to overcome invisible barriers.

Ngoc Linh and a group of students from Hanoi organized meaningful activities for the Fempower project in Bac Kan.

Child marriage, early school dropout, domestic violence, and outdated customs remain realities in many mountainous areas. Behind this is the patriarchal ideology that has persisted for generations, along with economic, educational, and geographical disparities that further disadvantage girls. Linh confided that she was deeply troubled by reports and stories about young girls forced to leave school too early. "If I have the opportunity to study in a good environment, why can't they?" – this question motivated Linh to take action.

Do Ngoc Linh, founder of Fempower, attended the HERASIA 2025 International Scientific Conference as the youngest delegate at the event.

From 2024 to the present, Fempower has conducted three trips to Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, and Mai Chau, visiting six schools and meeting nearly 800 students along with dozens of parents and teachers. More than 30 classes on children's rights, online safety skills, painting, writing letters to future selves, drama, and dance have been organized. The group also interviewed teachers, parents, and students to understand their perspectives on gender equality, thereby adjusting activities to better suit each community.

The founder of the Fempower project shared that her greatest joy isn't the numbers, but the moment a shy little girl dares to stand up and share her dream of becoming a teacher, or a mother, after a literacy class, says she wants her daughter to pursue a higher education than she did.

Impressive academic achievements

Besides her passion for extensive volunteer work, Do Ngoc Linh boasts an impressive academic record. Born in 2008 in Hanoi, Ngoc Linh attended Hanoi – Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students before transferring to an international school. In 2022, she received scholarships from several international schools and chose to pursue the IGCSE program at ParkCity International School Hanoi with a 90% scholarship, continuing her studies at the A-Level.

Portrait of the multi-talented student Do Ngoc Linh

In the IGCSE exams, Linh achieved 9 A* and A grades, with many subjects scoring above 90 points such as Math, Spanish, English Literature, Physics, and Biology. Ngoc Linh excelled with a GPA of 4.0/4.0, ranking first in the entire school. Notably, she was honored by Cambridge for being among the students with the highest IGCSE Spanish scores globally in the May 2025 exam. In 2023, the female student also achieved an impressive 8.0 IELTS score on her first attempt.

Not only excelling in academics, Linh also made her mark in international competitions such as ASMO and HIPPO, winning numerous gold medals. In 2025, she and her teammates won a gold medal at the AIGC Singapore international science competition with a project on the trend of applying ChatGPT in learning among Vietnamese students. In the same year, under the guidance of university lecturers, Linh participated in research on the anti-arthritic effects of black pepper extract and won a gold medal at the INTARG science competition (Poland).

Do Ngoc Linh (in the middle) received her IGCSE certificate in December 2025.

In addition, she has achieved impressive results in debates and public speaking, such as winning the "Speak to Inspire Vietnam" Championship and receiving the Outstanding Speaker award at the Vietnam International Public Forum Championship. Linh has also held solo art exhibitions and won top prizes in drawing competitions. In June 2025, she became the first student to receive the ISPH Principal's Recognition Award for outstanding overall contributions.

Teachers have commented that Linh is a student with a mindset that goes beyond the curriculum, outstanding discipline, and leadership abilities. But for Linh, academic achievement is not the ultimate goal. "I want to develop academically to have a more solid foundation, and from there create a positive impact on the community, especially disadvantaged groups," Ngoc Linh shared.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nu-sinh-gen-z-nguoc-nui-gieo-mam-binh-dang-gioi-post1820173.tpo