The first comprehensive study looking into the economy through a gender lens found that despite women contributing in large measure to economic development, the achievement of an inclusive growth model remains a challenge for Vietnam. The fact was made known at a conference that announced the study titled “Towards Gender Equality in Vietnam: Making Inclusive Growth Work for Women” in Hanoi recently.
According to the study, gender inequality will potentially increase if Vietnam's growth does not provide better career opportunities for women and support the reduction of women's roles in unpaid domestic work.
In Vietnam, the overall female/male earnings ratio has declined from 87 per cent in 2004 to 80 per cent in 2012 since women tend to work in lower-paid careers and work part-time.
Ms Shoko Ishikawa, UN Women Country Representative, said “Vietnam’s current economic growth pattern is not giving adequate attention to ensure that women’s right to equally benefit from growth is being fulfilled. If current policies and priorities are not reviewed and reformed from a gender lens, further economic integration will leave women behind.”
She added that the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community in December 2015 and the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in late 2015 are further steps of Vietnam on the path of deeper international integration. Vietnam’s participation in new trade initiatives will open up a range of exciting opportunities for growth, particularly in the manufacturing, garment and electronics sectors. However, current employment growth from earlier trade initiatives has been largely concentrated in unskilled jobs. Opportunities for training, skills development and promotion in these sectors have been limited, especially for women.
She recommended that Vietnam should pay particular attention to the correlation of paid work and unpaid work. Indeed, policies need to address these issues in a comprehensive manner. Prioritising gender equality should be at the core of development policy. An investment in women is an investment in economic growth.
Mr Layton Pike, Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, stressed that Vietnam is advancing its deeper international integration. Its participation in new trade initiatives will open up a range of new opportunities for growth, particularly in the manufacturing, garment and electronics sectors. He noted that Vietnam’s rapid economic transformation is impacting women just as much as men, so policies and actions should be targeted to enable everyone to also benefit equitably from socioeconomic development.
In affirmation of Vietnam’s care for gender equality, Dr Dang Nguyen Anh, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Science, said, “The Government of Vietnam is strongly committed to advancing gender equality, which is reflected in many laws, including the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and many policies in support of five-year socioeconomic development strategies.
Dr Anh added that the study is a great result of close partnership and coordination between international and national organisations. In order achieve substantive equality, it is necessary to have policies that are inclusive for women and vulnerable groups.
Thu Ha
Vietnamese
