Vietnam, often lauded as an emerging manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia, has experienced remarkable economic growth over the years. This growth, however, has been accompanied by a pressing need to address gender equality in the workplace. While the country has made significant strides in narrowing the gender gap, deep-rooted gender stereotypes and structural economic challenges persist. In this article, we delve into the landscape of gender equality and the prevailing challenges faced by women in the Vietnamese workforce.
Female Workforce Participation
Vietnam boasts a population exceeding 98.5 million, with more than half being females. Remarkably, it is among the top 15 countries globally with the highest rate of working females. Approximately 47.3 percent of the total employees in Vietnam are women, highlighting their substantial contribution to the labor force.
Within the realm of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women-owned businesses constitute 21 percent of formal enterprises, and their average annual revenues are similar to those owned by men. This data underscores the significant role that women play in driving economic activity in the country.
Challenges and Inequalities
While the unemployment rate in Vietnam remains relatively low, gender disparities in access to employment persist. A significant portion of women are employed as unpaid family workers, particularly in rural, underdeveloped, remote, and ethnic minority areas. This situation leaves them at a disadvantage concerning access to social protection services and income security.
The concept of the “double burden” further exacerbates the challenges faced by women in entrepreneurship. Female-owned ventures tend to be informal, small in scale, and concentrated in low-productivity sectors. This makes them more vulnerable to economic crises, as evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic, where female-owned businesses were seven percentage points more likely to collapse compared to their male counterparts in the Asia-Pacific region.
Additionally, women in Vietnam are burdened with a disproportionate amount of unpaid domestic and care work, including household chores, family care, and childcare. This imbalance in responsibilities limits their opportunities for education and career advancement.
Stereotypes and Gender Bias
Stereotypes and deeply ingrained gender bias persistently hinder women’s economic participation. These biases manifest in barriers to leadership and promotion, often rooted in the perception that women’s primary role is caregiving. The prevailing notion that men are the primary breadwinners while women are secondary earners further perpetuates gender inequality in the workplace.
Access to Education and Training
Gender inequality in Vietnam is also reflected in disparities in access to education and training. While the labor force participation rate is high, just over one-fifth of employed workers receive training. Moreover, there is a stark difference between men and women in this regard. Only one out of every four male workers has been trained, whereas for women, it’s just one out of every five.
Government Initiatives
The Vietnamese government has taken steps to address gender inequality and promote women’s participation in the workforce. The National Strategy on Gender Equality for 2011-2020 laid the foundation for the more recent strategy for 2021-2030. These strategies focus on strengthening women’s participation in leadership roles and reducing the retirement age gap between men and women.
Preferential tax incentives have been introduced for enterprises with a predominantly female workforce, and rural women have been prioritized for access to credit to encourage their participation in agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors.
Challenges in Policy Implementation
Despite these efforts, limitations in government incentives and policies persist. The Labor Code, which includes four articles relating to sexual harassment, falls short of fully protecting women. A Code of Conduct on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, developed in 2015, is voluntary and often goes unimplemented.
Business Contributions to Gender Equality
Businesses have a pivotal role to play in promoting gender equality in Vietnam. They can prioritize promoting business, networking, and training opportunities for women with flexible schedules to accommodate their diverse needs. Additionally, training programs should focus on building technical knowledge, especially digital literacy skills, which women often lack access to.
Enterprises can also contribute by offering explicit childcare support as part of a gender-inclusive policy. While Vietnam offers long maternity leave, more comprehensive childcare support can empower women in the workforce.