Vo Thi Hoang Yen was diagnosed with polio at the age of three while living in a remote rice farming village in Vietnam. Despite earning two bachelor’s degrees, Vo felt “helpless” in her search for a job because of the stigmatization and discrimination that she faced due to her disability. “I wanted to change the perception that people with disabilities were incapable, helpless and only a burden on society, but I did not know how. Then IFP came along, bringing me a great opportunity to study abroad, expand my knowledge, and realize my dream.” After completing her Master’s degree in Community Development at the University of Kansas, Vo turned down a job offer in Washington, DC, and returned to Vietnam to pursue her dream. “I used [IFP] knowledge to continue my academic journey … to keep researching and fighting for social justice issues with people with disabilities, especially women and children with disabilities in my home country.” In 2005, Vo founded the Disability Research and Capacity Development Center in Ho Chi Minh City. Serving as the director, she has become a leading voice for people with disabilities at national and international levels. Vo and her organization led a campaign called One World for All that created more than 200 jobs for people with disabilities and provided more than 30 grants to self-employers with disabilities in Vietnam. In addition, Vo’s organization has provided more than 400 scholarships to people with disabilities through a program she modeled after the IFP. In recognition of her commitment and leadership, Vo received the Australia Leadership Award in 2014 and the U.S. President’s Call to Service Award in 2010. In 2018, Vo was one of six recipients to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, a prestigious honor dubbed as the Nobel Prize in Asia and given to leaders working on development and societal issues in the region. Vo was also just named one of the 50 most influential women in Vietnam in 2019 by Forbes magazine.
“I used [IFP] knowledge to continue my academic journey … to keep researching and fighting for social justice issues with women and girls with disabilities in my home country.” —VO THI HOANG YEN
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