Abstract
Gender inequality negatively impacts the opportunities of female workers in the labor market and the society's sustainability. Since the participation of women in the workforce characterizes more difficulties compared to men, empowering female workers with fair access to job opportunities means advancing gender equality as well as sustainable development. Against this backdrop, this study aims to provide critical suggestions for perfecting the Vietnam Labor Code to increase the workforce’s gender equality. Accordingly, although the new Labor Law is updated with innovative provisions about protecting and empowering female workers, the gender gap in Vietnam's Labor market still pervasively remains and this problem therefore prevents sustainable development. Based on the theoretical relationship between empowering and protecting female workers, gender equality, and sustainable development goals, a critical view of establishing the new approach to gender equality and the accountability of businesses toward this issue is presented.
Research purpose:
This study provides critical suggestions for perfecting the Vietnam Labor Code to increase the workforce’s gender equality for sustainable development.
Research motivation:
Since gender inequality is an important indicator of sustainable development, the existence of inequality in the labor market would prevent this process.
Research design, approach, and method:
Based on the theoretical relationship between empowering and protecting female workers, gender equality, and sustainable development goals, the gender-based approach is engaged to provide suggestions against the problem statement of inequality in Vietnam's labor market. Specifically, since gender equality and sustainable development fall within human security topics, this research employs the recommendations of the Human Security Commission to address the appropriate approach to advancing gender equality and sustainable development in the labor market.
Main findings:
The gender gap in Vietnam's Labor market remains, although the new Labor Law is updated with innovative provisions about protecting and empowering female workers. Therefore, this problem prevents achieving sustainable development provided a new approach is engaged in the current provisions.
Practical/managerial implications:
The recommendations aim to provide a critical view of the new approach to gender equality and the accountability of businesses toward this issue.
Keywords: Gender equality, labor law, employment, women's participation
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