Workshop on protecting female migrant workers held

The one-day workshop on "Policy Dialogue on Protecting Rights of Women Migrant Workers" was co-organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs' Department of Overseas Labour and the U.N. Women–U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and the Women's Rights.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Vietnam is the only country to have witnessed a gradually increase in the number of migrant workers. Currently, more than 500,000 Vietnamese are working in over 40 countries and territories worldwide.

During the past five years, an average of 90,000 labourerstravelled abroad for work annually, among which female workers made up for 30 to 35%. The number of women working abroad has jumped, and in 2014 women accountedfor 37.5% of the 100,000 labourers going overseas towork.

Statistics showed that women were working abroad mostly asdomestic helpers, nurses, geriatric nurses; hospitality workers, tailors, weavers, and technicians among others in Taiwan, theRepublic of Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Arabia Saudi and Cyprus.

Like men, women were going abroad in a bid to improve their professional skills, accumulate experience and boost familyincome.

"The number of women travelling abroad for work has made aconsiderable difference to improving their family's living standards, as well as their locality's prosperity," the DeputyHead of the Department of Overseas Labour, Pham Viet Huong, told workshop participants.

"Apart from enhancing effective organisation and management, the department also focuses on measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese workers abroad. The Government will also actively foster co-operation with governments of receiving countries to protect the interests of labourers," Huong said.

A majority of participants are concerned that despite a remarkable increase in the number of female labourers working abroad, there was a lack of concrete policies assisting them. The current laws and policies focused on both male and female migrant workers.

Generally speaking, women faced much more difficulty and risks than men. Quite a few women had experienced labour exploitation, abuse, violence, or non-payment of dues. In addition, when they returned home, they had found it difficultto reintegrate into society, getting access to services, especially job-generating assistance, the event sponsors said.

According to the United Nations (U.N.) Women country representative, Shoko Ishikawa, the U.N. body had co-ordinated with the Department of Overseas Labour to implement a project, which would aim to empower female migrant workers, of which the workshop was a part.

The project would carry out a range of activities to enhance awareness about gender equality, and the capacity of officials, managers, and enterprises that sent labourers overseas, Ishikawa said.

She added that U.N. Women hoped the project would change policies and practical actions so that Vietnam could guarantee the rights of its female migrant workers.

A great number of attendees also called for the supplementation and completion of policies targeting workersreturning home on the basis of ensuring gender principles.

It is necessary that relevant authorities co-ordinate to implement mechanisms, policies that facilitate enterprises sending labourers abroad and to assist labourers inreintegrating into the society. Notably, they should have proper intervention to mitigate risks that women mightencounter when they work overseas, as well as when they return home.