Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs
Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs
Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs
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Participa<strong>to</strong>ry poverty moni<strong>to</strong>r<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> rural communities <strong>in</strong> <strong>Viet</strong> <strong>Nam</strong><br />
96<br />
BOX 5.3. Reasons for not work<strong>in</strong>g away from home <strong>in</strong> Ban Lien<br />
commune (Bac Ha, Lao Cai)<br />
Few people of the Tay and H’Mong ethnic groups work as migrant workers for the<br />
follow<strong>in</strong>g reasons:<br />
1. Limited social relations, no broker. “There are no job brokers that we know<br />
so nobody can go anywhere. There are young people who want <strong>to</strong> go, but their<br />
parents do not want <strong>to</strong> lose children”.<br />
2. No education, low skill. “The people <strong>in</strong> the <strong>to</strong>wn understand th<strong>in</strong>gs quickly.<br />
We learn more slowly. In Ban Lien commune, there nobody has the skills <strong>to</strong><br />
work <strong>in</strong> construction, so we just work as porters, carry<strong>in</strong>g cement and bricks.”<br />
3. Afraid of go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong>o far. “It’s far from here <strong>to</strong> <strong>to</strong>wn. Women never go <strong>to</strong> the<br />
prov<strong>in</strong>cial centres. We don’t even have money for a bus ticket. It is said that it’s<br />
gett<strong>in</strong>g more expensive.”<br />
4. Afraid of tak<strong>in</strong>g risks. “A few years ago some men work<strong>in</strong>g on construction<br />
sites were not paid for their labour. I’ve never seen anybody get rich after<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g away from home away.”<br />
5. No tradition of migrant labour. “Here people are not used <strong>to</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g away<br />
from home. Our ances<strong>to</strong>rs lived here. We miss home, and it will be a pity if our<br />
parents or children get ill and we can’t be around. Wives can’t handle that.”<br />
Gender impacts of work<strong>in</strong>g away from home<br />
Remittances are a significant contribution <strong>to</strong> the rural economy. Many<br />
women send money home <strong>to</strong> cover family daily spend<strong>in</strong>g, house repair and<br />
upgrade and children’s education. In Cu Hue - Dak Lak, some families with people<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g away from home have escaped poverty. Low levels of migration mean<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong>ous ethnic m<strong>in</strong>ority areas receive few remittances.<br />
Wages of low skilled (ma<strong>in</strong>ly female) migrants <strong>in</strong> urban areas have not<br />
risen <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e with liv<strong>in</strong>g costs <strong>in</strong> the last 2-3 years. Increas<strong>in</strong>g numbers<br />
of female migrants from Duc Huong - Ha T<strong>in</strong>h and Thuan Hoa - Tra V<strong>in</strong>h are<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g as sales assistants or house maids because they don’t have <strong>to</strong> pay<br />
for accommodation and meals, and wages are the same as low skilled workers<br />
(Table 5.2)<br />
TABLE 5.2. Comparison between regular and seasonal labour of people<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g away from home <strong>in</strong> Duc Huong (Ha T<strong>in</strong>h) and Thuan Hoa (Cau Ngang,<br />
Tra V<strong>in</strong>h), 2011.<br />
Regular worker<br />
Seasonal<br />
worker<br />
Type of work<br />
Skilled worker,<br />
graduate<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
companies and<br />
organizations.<br />
Low skilled<br />
workers<br />
(garment,<br />
footwear,<br />
assembl<strong>in</strong>g, etc.)<br />
Sales<br />
support,<br />
house maids<br />
Builders, mason,<br />
coffee harvest,<br />
cashew nut<br />
pick<strong>in</strong>g, weed<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
harvest<strong>in</strong>g corn,<br />
etc.<br />
Place of work Urban Urban Urban <strong>Rural</strong><br />
Target groups<br />
Equal number of<br />
men and women<br />
More women<br />
than men<br />
Women<br />
More men than<br />
women