Specific policies should be designed for Vietnamese female guestworkers to support them in dealing with risks and difficulties arisingwhile working and when returning home, heard a seminar on April 3.
The seminar was jointly held by the Overseas Workers ManagementDepartment of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, andthe UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWomen).
Participants pointed out that current legalregulations and policies relating to the issue of working abroad arecurrently applied for both male and female guest workers.
Risks facing female guest workers varied, from labour exploitation, physical abuse, to sexual harassment and non-payment.
And, when returning home, they have met with difficulties forre-integration and access to public services and employment,participants noted.
Backward social perceptions against women working abroad are other obstacles.
According to Shoko Ishikawa, UN Women Chief Representative inVietnam, over the past five years, UN Women has coordinated withVietnamese authorised agencies to implement a project to empower womencontracted to work abroad, which aims to increase public awareness ofgender equality.
The projects also targets enhancedcapacity for officials and managers at Vietnamese enterprisesspecialising in sending workers abroad, said Ishikawa.
Deputy head of the Overseas Workers Management Department Pham VietHuong said the department has focused on measures to protect thelegitimate rights and interests of overseas Vietnamese workers, throughworking closely with the governments of the host countries.
As many as 500,000 Vietnamese labourers are working in over 40countries and territories around the globe. Women accounted for 35percent of the 90,000 Vietnamese working abroad a year averagely duringthe past five years.
Vietnamese women mostly work asmaids, nurses, hotel staff, and factory workers in Taiwan (China), theRepublic of Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Cyprus.-VNA
The seminar was jointly held by the Overseas Workers ManagementDepartment of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, andthe UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWomen).
Participants pointed out that current legalregulations and policies relating to the issue of working abroad arecurrently applied for both male and female guest workers.
Risks facing female guest workers varied, from labour exploitation, physical abuse, to sexual harassment and non-payment.
And, when returning home, they have met with difficulties forre-integration and access to public services and employment,participants noted.
Backward social perceptions against women working abroad are other obstacles.
According to Shoko Ishikawa, UN Women Chief Representative inVietnam, over the past five years, UN Women has coordinated withVietnamese authorised agencies to implement a project to empower womencontracted to work abroad, which aims to increase public awareness ofgender equality.
The projects also targets enhancedcapacity for officials and managers at Vietnamese enterprisesspecialising in sending workers abroad, said Ishikawa.
Deputy head of the Overseas Workers Management Department Pham VietHuong said the department has focused on measures to protect thelegitimate rights and interests of overseas Vietnamese workers, throughworking closely with the governments of the host countries.
As many as 500,000 Vietnamese labourers are working in over 40countries and territories around the globe. Women accounted for 35percent of the 90,000 Vietnamese working abroad a year averagely duringthe past five years.
Vietnamese women mostly work asmaids, nurses, hotel staff, and factory workers in Taiwan (China), theRepublic of Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Cyprus.-VNA
