Unintended effects of localisation: coalitions and professionalism of women working in NGOs in Vietnam

Abstract

Aid localisation aims to reduce hierarchies in the international humanitarian and development systems by directing resources to local NGOs. However, there are unintended effects of localised aid, which reinforce structural inequalities and continue to subordinate local actors, especially women in the NGO sector. Using feminist critiques, this article examines the problematic tendency to overemphasise women’s movements within Global Southern NGOs. The research focuses on the impact of localised aid on NGO coalitions and the professionalism of women working in NGOs in post-reform Vietnam. It argues that localised aid has unintended effects, weakening rather than strengthening Southern women-led movements by fulfilling funding requirements. Their dominant representation in the NGO sector remains aligned with donors’ priorities and the state’s welfare-restructuring agenda. This article aims to deepen understanding of the unintended consequences of localisation and the hierarchical issues affecting women’s empowerment within the NGO sector.

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