Expand Maternity Protection for Informal Workers in Vietnam: Discussion and Recommendations

Maternity benefits play an important role in protecting women against the risks of loss of income and health from pregnancy and childbirth. According to ILO Maternity Protection Convention No. 183 (C 183), maternity protection provisions should apply to all women, including those working in informal conditions. In Vietnam today, maternity benefits are considered quite generous in terms of leave time and benefit rate. However, statutory and actual maternity coverage is very limited; Leave and maternity benefits vary significantly between groups of women, depending on their work status. Women not covered by mandatory social insurance, including informal workers, do not have access to this basic and important labor right. In the context of the existence of a large-scale informal economic sector and a high rate of informal labor in Vietnam, this is a significant challenge to the ability to protect workers in the social insurance system (including female workers). In this article, the authors used document research methods, statistical analysis methods, comparison and contrast; Based on international standards on maternity protection and practical international experience on expanding maternity protection in the informal economy and informal workers, the authors have proposed some recommended policies to expand maternity protection for informal workers in Vietnam, gradually realizing the maternity protection rights of all female workers, regardless of their employment status.