Hanoi (VNA) – More than 100 experts from Vietnam’s governmentagencies and international and domestic organisations gathered in Hanoi onMarch 28 to discuss how to create a better environment for female migrantworkers to access decent work.

The seminar, themed “Decent work for Female Migrant Workers– Challenges and Solutions”, was jointly by the Plan International and the UNEntity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

According to a recent labour market scan survey in Hanoi bythe Plan International, the majority of female migrant workers are working inthe informal sector with limited access to social protection services, and havenot been technically trained by employers. The survey also revealed that around70 percent of surveyed migrant workers did not have employment contracts,meaning lack of access to work benefits such as social insurance, healthinsurance, sick leave, and annual leave.

Nguyen Quang Viet, Deputy Director of the National Institutefor Vocational Education and Training, said that Vietnam has quite an inclusivelegal policy system on labour and employment, including those for migrantworkers.

However, the State’s preferential policies on vocationaltraining and employment often refer to registration books, which is a challengefor migrant workers, he added.

He suggested State management agencies to carry out policiesand mechanisms supporting vocational training and introducing jobs for femalemigrant workers.

“The need for decent jobs, a safe living environment andaccess to social and protection services at destination is real. Manyinternational commitments support women’s economic empowerment, including theConvention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women anda series of International Labour Organization conventions on gender equality,”said Sharon Kane, Country Director of Plan International.

“Plan International supports women’s economic empowerment inline with these, and our programmes will continue to promote women’s ability tosecure decent work, which contributes to advancing economies and sustainabledevelopment,” she added.

Meanwhile, Elisa Fernandez, Head of UN Women Vietnam Office,highlighted that discrimination and inequality fuel social instability andincome disparities.

"If efforts to close gender gaps and to promote betteremployment opportunities for women are not stepped up, current mega trends –such as climate change, demographic trends, migration flows and the technicalrevolution – will affect women and girls disproportionately," she said.

To achieve sustainable development goals, she suggestedVietnam have a systematic commitment to "leaving no one behind", andin particular, generating the conditions for decent work and access to socialprotection that are inclusive and respect the rights of female migrant workersin Hanoi.-VNA