Who Should Move for Work, My Husband or I?

Since early of 2000’, due to a high demand for their labor, Vietnamese women have dramatically joined and out-numbered men in spontaneous migration streams especially from rural areas to cities and industrialized zones (General Statistical Office 2005b, 2010b). Participating in the movements are not only single but also married women, many of whom had to leave their families behind. However, until now little is known about the group. Based on in-depth interviews carried out in 2013 with matched husbands-wife pairs of mother-migrant/father-stay-at-home families in contemporary Vietnam, this paper will contribute to the knowledge gap by examining reasons why married women but not their husbands are the one who move to work.

Reference

General Statistical Office. 2005b. The 2004 Vietnam Migration Survey-Internal Migration and related life course events (Dieu tra di cu Viet Nam 2004 - Di cu trong nuoc va moi lien he voi cac su kien trong cuoc song). General Statistical Office, Ha Noi, Statistical Publishing House.

General Statistical Office. 2010b. Migration and urbanization in Vietnam: Patterns, Trends and Differentials. edited by H. N. General Statistical Office, Statistical Publishing House.