THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE PRACTICE OF MOTHER GODDESS WORSHIP: FROM DEVOTION TO SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

Abstract

The practice of Mother Goddess worship in Vietnam, recognized by UNESCO in 2016 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, represents a distinctive form of vernacular belief deeply rooted in history and local tradition. Within the structure of its ritual practices and intergenerational transmission, women are not only worshippers but also play a central role in organizing, sustaining, and expanding the religious life of communities, particularly through their leadership of ritual groups (bản hội). This paper, drawing on approaches from religious anthropology and gender studies, examines how women participate in, construct, and lead sacred spaces within the Mother Goddess tradition. In doing so, it affirms women's creative and spiritual agency within the landscape of contemporary Vietnamese folk religion.