This study documents existing evidence on the gender effects of the recent social and economic transition in Vietnam. Although gender disparities are often attributed to Confucian traditions around men and women’s roles, these traditions alone do not explain the variant forms of gender inequality in Vietnam today. The formation of new social hierarchies arising from the transition to a market economy further raises the question of whether gender alone without reference to other forms of socialdifferentiation is an adequate analytic construct for assessing the impact of thereforms. This report provides an analysis of national trends, a review of the recentliterature on gender, and a household level analysis of gender roles in both an urbanand a rural community. Findings are presented on changing intra-householdrelations, mobility and social differentiation in the market economy, and new formsof political participation and knowledge. Specific recommendations are provided to address emerging gender inequalities at the household and community level and in light of larger national trends