Women demining Laos countryside

During the Vietnam War, the United States dropped millions of cluster bombs on Laos.

Forty years on, an estimated 80 million remain buried and unexploded – posing a risk to anyone who goes near them.

Now, 50 women have joined teams of the Mine Action Group, MAG, to clear as many as they can.

The decision to have three of its 14 teams led entirely by women is also a financial one, as the work helps elevate the women’s position in society.

Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett reports from Laos’ Xieng Khouang province.