The report was conducted by the Institute of Labour, Science and Social Affairs, the United Nations in Vietnam and the ODA programme of the Australian government.

Around 250 women in the northern province of Hai Duong and the southern province of Dong Thap were interviewed for the report.

According to Ms Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, director of the Research Centre for Female Labour and Gender (RCFLG), after carrying out international economic integration, these provinces have experienced socio-economic changes with rapid investment and urbanization, economic restructuring and considerable internal migration.

According to the report, two years after joining the WTO, the expansion of industrial parks (IPs) in the provinces has generated jobs for female workers. Most of enterprises are operating in the field of garments and textiles, leather and footwear, electronics, seafood and food processing which require numerous female workers.

The report also emphasized that IPs have attracted many female workers from neighbouring localities. Up to 90 percent of women interviewed said that their income has increased significantly thanks to going where the jobs are while the remaining 10 percent are still looking for jobs.

The report has also pointed out that although WTO entry has increased job opportunities for rural women in Vietnam, these are low-paying jobs. Female workers in the electronics sector earn the highest monthly income (VND2 million/month) while those working in the garment, textile and seafood sectors earn VND1.2-1.5 million per month.

Ms Thuy said that although the women’s income has doubled compared to that in the agricultural sector, they save only VND200,000-400,000 per month excluding the cost of rent. In addition, in peak season, they have to work 12-14 hours per day. Poor working conditions often affect their health.

Moreover, rural women also have to live in cramped housing with up to 30 people in a guest-house. Meanwhile, theft and disorder occurred regularly there.

One of the ways to help rural women increase their income is to offer training courses. The report said that in the past two years, rural women have had many opportunities to access training in general and vocational training in particular. However, there remain limitations in vocational training.

Research has shown that a group of young women who graduated from high school, have had the opportunity to undergo vocational training courses, and find it easy to find jobs in the garment industry, and services sector. However, a group of women over 35 years old who have low educational qualifications, can only do simple jobs such as weaving rattan and bamboo. They earned only VND5,000-VND20,000 per day from these unstable jobs.

The report also offered proposals that local authorities and social and political organizations should integrate gender education into policies, plans and targeted national programmes, to reduce the impact of WTO entry on rural women and improve gender equality in Vietnam.