Women played an equally important role as the men in the anti-imperial struggle in Vietnam. Women who rebelled against social conventions were idolised and rebel women of the past were likewise celebrated. Trieu Au, who lived in the third century CE, was a popular figure in nationalist tales. In the 1960s, women were represented as brave soldiers and workers. They assisted in nursing wounded soldiers, constructing roads and underground tunnels as well as fighting the enemy. Between 1965 and 1975, 70-80% of the youth working on the Ho Chi Minh trail were women.