“Marry a normal woman”: Vietnamese women with physical disabilities’ experiences of marriage opposition

Marriage is a fundamental right and personal choice for all people. However, societal attitudes present significant challenges for women with disabilities when contemplating marriage. This paper explores the experiences of Northern Vietnamese women with physical disabilities who faced opposition from their partners’ families regarding marriage. It draws on a qualitative study that explored the lived experiences of women with physical disabilities regarding pregnancy, childbirth, and maternal healthcare conducted in 2018. A two-staged in-depth interview was utilised. Initially, 29 women were interviewed, with 27 follow-up interviews conducted. Data was thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke’s approach (2013, 2019). Two key themes, with five subthemes, emerged: “marriage denied: gendered and ableist exclusion” and “marriage opposition: stigma and discrimination”. Findings underscore the pervasive influence of Vietnamese socio-cultural norms on the marital prospects of women with physical disabilities. Gender roles ascribed to wives, daughters-in-law, and mothers, coupled with ableist assumption and social stigma surrounding disability pose significant barriers to their marriages. These findings enhance understanding of the intersection of gender and disability, with implications for developing policies and programs that go beyond focusing solely on these factors, prioritise dismantling ableist and gender norms, and challenge negative perceptions of women with disabilities as “unworthy” of marriage.