| Author | Pham Thu Hien |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.GD-01-06 |
| Subject(s) | Women clothing workers--Vietnam--Hanoi
|
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of
Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. GD-01-06 |
| Abstract | One of the results of economic restructuring in Vietnam is emergence of the private sector
and retrenchment of the state sector. This has facilitated rapid growth of small and medium
enterprises that have absorbed a large number of women laborers. Creation of employment
for women is regarded as a positive change brought by the economic restructuring.
However, patterns of women's employment and their conditions of work are influenced by
social and economic policy transformation and changes in operations of enterprises.
By interviewing 46 women workers in a state enterprise and two private enterp1ises, the
study aims to examine women's working conditions in different types of enterprises and
the reasons behind their unsecure conditions. In order to highlight their working conditions
14 men are included in the survey for comparison. The methodology of the study
employed is exploratory. The respondents in this survey engage in 4 different sections of
work.
Results of the survey shows that in general, working conditions in the state enterprise are
found to be better than in private enterprises. However, it should be noted that in some
aspects, working conditions in the state enterprise are also as unfavorable as in private
ones. Better working conditions in the state enterprise are explained by factors concerning
performance of the enterprise and worker socio- economic conditions. Both these agents
are impacted by a new mechanism imposed by economic restructuring. While both men
and women workers live and work in the same changing economic system, working
conditions of women workers, especially migrant ones, are increasingly deteriorated.
Traditional perceptions of women's and men's capacity and roles ( i.e gender division of
labor) confines women to certain type of work within the same enterprise that is valued
less than technical jobs. Women workers' Low income and lack of technical training result
from these traditional biases. Women's biological reproduction and social reproduction
functions make them more vulnerable because of social policy changes such as maternity
leave and health care. This expresses the gender-biased characteristics of macro policies.
It should be realized that improvement of working conditions in general and of women in
particular needs to be addressed urgently. The issue concerns not only laborers' rights but
also development of enterprises. |
| Year | 2001 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. GD-01-06 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Gender and Development Studies (GD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Kusakabe, Kyoko; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Resurreccion, Bernadette P. ;Sununta Siengthai ; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | The Government of Japan ; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2001 |