Women immigrants in HCM City have faced severe financial andother challenges since the recession began in 2007, according to a studyreleased on Dec. 14 by a city-based university.
Dr.Nguyen Thi Hong Xoan, a member of the research group from theUniversity of Social Sciences and Humanities, said the study wasmeant to assess the impact of the economic recession on women,especially immigrants to the city during the period.
It polled 400 women in the district of Nha Be, Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, and 5, half of them immigrants aged between 21 and 40.
It found that the rate of unemployment among women in the city was more than 5 percent, higher than the national average.
Nearly 91.5 percent of women immigrants to the city work at industrialand export processing zones, run small business, or do seasonal jobssince they lack knowledge or skills.
"They do not have anyknowledge of social and health insurance or labour contracts, and so donot protest when their employers do not sign contracts or pay socialand health insurance for them," Xoan said.
Their averagesalary at industrial and export processing zones is around 2.3 millionVND while the cost of living in the city is rising relentlessly, forcingthem to cut back on rent, healthcare, and entertainment.
They can only afford 2.7 percent to 5 percent of their income forhealthcare, with most of them going to pharmacies rather than doctorsfor medicines.
Ninety percent of them do not have time toattend training courses to improve their skills because they have towork to earn money.
Just over a third of them have thetime to take part in events organised by social organisations like tradeunions and women's unions, meaning most are unable to learn aboutlabour laws or benefits.
The researchers recommended that employers and authorities should take greater care of women workers, especially migrants.
More research would need to be done into the life and work of womenmigrants to enable policy makers to draft specific policies to supportthem, they added./.
Dr.Nguyen Thi Hong Xoan, a member of the research group from theUniversity of Social Sciences and Humanities, said the study wasmeant to assess the impact of the economic recession on women,especially immigrants to the city during the period.
It polled 400 women in the district of Nha Be, Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, and 5, half of them immigrants aged between 21 and 40.
It found that the rate of unemployment among women in the city was more than 5 percent, higher than the national average.
Nearly 91.5 percent of women immigrants to the city work at industrialand export processing zones, run small business, or do seasonal jobssince they lack knowledge or skills.
"They do not have anyknowledge of social and health insurance or labour contracts, and so donot protest when their employers do not sign contracts or pay socialand health insurance for them," Xoan said.
Their averagesalary at industrial and export processing zones is around 2.3 millionVND while the cost of living in the city is rising relentlessly, forcingthem to cut back on rent, healthcare, and entertainment.
They can only afford 2.7 percent to 5 percent of their income forhealthcare, with most of them going to pharmacies rather than doctorsfor medicines.
Ninety percent of them do not have time toattend training courses to improve their skills because they have towork to earn money.
Just over a third of them have thetime to take part in events organised by social organisations like tradeunions and women's unions, meaning most are unable to learn aboutlabour laws or benefits.
The researchers recommended that employers and authorities should take greater care of women workers, especially migrants.
More research would need to be done into the life and work of womenmigrants to enable policy makers to draft specific policies to supportthem, they added./.
