Ha, 42, is one of three siblings in a family in the northern Ha Nam Province. Her mother passed away early, leaving her aging father alone. Married and living in HCMC, she regularly sent money to help her brothers care for their father.
Two years ago her father died suddenly without leaving a will. Last year her brothers called her home, not to discuss division of assets but to present her with documents waiving her inheritance rights over the family’s 500-square-meter plot of land.
She refused to sign. Before their father’s passing, both brothers had already received their shares and built homes with legal ownership. She believed she was entitled to a portion of what remained under Vietnamese law. Her brothers were outraged. Accusing her of greed, they made it clear they would not make things easy for her. “In our village, daughters who marry usually sign away their inheritance rights to their brothers,” she says.
A similar situation unfolded for Tran Thu Quynh, 37, of the central Nghe An Province. Unlike Ha, she never even had the chance to ask for her inheritance. Her parents had transferred their entire 700-square-meter property to her brother without informing her. One of three siblings, she lives next door to her parents, visiting and caring for them daily. But inheritance was never discussed. She only discovered the arrangement by accident last year during a family meal.
When she confronted her parents, they responded bluntly: “Daughters are taken care of by their husbands. Only the unfortunate ones return to claim land from their birth family.”
Hong Thai of the Hanoi Bar Association says while Vietnamese society has made progress toward equal inheritance rights, many families still prioritize male heirs. “Some parents ensure sons inherit everything by transferring assets before death or drafting wills that exclude daughters.”
A study by the Institute for Social Development Studies found that only 1% of men believed daughters should inherit while 12-23% said inheritance should go exclusively or predominantly to sons. “Since birth women are at a disadvantage when it comes to property rights,” the study concluded.
Nguyen Thi Minh, a HCMC psychologist, says exclusion from inheritance often leaves women feeling betrayed and undervalued. “Many daughters wonder what they did wrong to deserve such treatment.
“It becomes even more complex when their in-laws practice gender-equal inheritance, leaving them caught between opposing traditions.”
Ha had long dreamed of returning to her roots, but her brothers’ hostility shattered that vision. She thought they would welcome her back, she says. Now she feels like all those years of longing for family meant nothing.
Quynh, in contrast, remains silent, maintaining a cordial relationship with her family despite feeling sidelined. “My sisters and I always contributed to our family,” she says. “I lived closest to our parents and cared for them daily. Yet, when dividing their estate, they never considered me.”
According to the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam, the number of inheritance-related lawsuits has skyrocketed since the 2015 Civil Code took effect. Cases admitted for trial increased by 26.7% in 2017 and the rates were similar in 2018 and 2019.
Thai thinks fair asset distribution is crucial for family harmony. “While it is understandable to allocate larger shares to those who care for their parents, gender should not determine inheritance rights.” Quyen calls for legal reforms mandating a minimum inheritance share for all children to prevent daughters from being entirely excluded.
Minh encourages daughters to express their expectations early and negotiate tactfully. “One woman told her parents she expected a dowry of VND500 million (US$19,535) because she knew they could afford it.” But she advises daughters to remain respectful and fulfill their filial duties: “Sometimes genuine care and kindness can change parents’ minds over time.”
For Ha, the fight is far from over. She intends to claim her rightful inheritance, not just for herself, but to challenge an outdated tradition.
“It is time to end this unfair treatment of women.”
*Names in this article have been changed.
