The hardworking... go out to the street.

Farmland is shrinking, rice production is arduous and burdened with dozens of expenses, and livestock farming is not profitable... as a result, farmers work tirelessly but earn very little. Lack of enthusiasm for farming, coupled with the absence of supplementary occupations, means poverty! Many hardworking rural women have flocked to the cities, hoping for a better life than in their villages.

A glimpse into the lives of freelance workers in Vinh Quang neighborhood, Hung Binh ward, Vinh City.

Going to the city to find work is a choice for many people. Some seek long-term employment, while others only earn a living during their leisure time. Whether it's for a few weeks or for years at a time, this kind of spontaneous migration is increasing, not only among female workers, leading to an "aging" workforce in rural areas. Given that the majority of the workforce lacks specialized skills and formal training, the jobs they find are typically day labor in markets, construction work, restaurant service, and domestic help. This workforce also accounts for a significant number in industrial zones, especially female workers in the garment and seafood processing industries. Although some employment and vocational training centers under agencies and organizations such as the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs in localities, the Women's Union, and the Youth Union have the function of providing career guidance and counseling, most workers are unaware of these centers and therefore do not seek them out. Most rely on self-reliance, with word-of-mouth within the village, or, if lucky, referrals from relatives living in the city. Jobs may or may not be suitable for their health and skills, but most are unstable and offer little long-term security.

In fact, working in the city has brought about changes in the lives of laborers and their families. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuan, from Hamlet 4, Nghi Xa, Nghi Loc, compared: "At home, farming, after deducting the cost of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and all other expenses, the daily wage was only 1,000 to 1,200 dong. Carrying baskets of fruit, I cycle to the city at 5 am and return at 7 pm, sometimes later. It's hard work, but I still earn 20 to 30 thousand dong. On lucky days, I even earn 50 thousand dong." Ms. Thuan's family and hundreds of other households in the commune have been able to buy televisions, motorbikes, and send their children to school thanks to the "non-agricultural" income from the city. Therefore, Nghi Xa - the commune with the largest area of ​​agricultural land reclaimed for the construction of the Nam Cam Industrial Park in Nghi Loc district (160 hectares) - has seen many households quit farming, rent out their land, and flock to Vinh... to find work!

Earning more money, but migrant workers also face countless difficulties upon returning to the city. First and foremost is the precarious living conditions, inadequate food and hygiene in cheap lodgings. Vinh Quang Hamlet, Hung Binh Ward, is home to over 500 migrant workers, the majority of whom are scrap metal collectors. They come from all over the country, but the largest numbers are from Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Yen Thanh, Do Luong, and the provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nam Dinh... At the house of landlord Ho Viet Thanh, in a small, dark room of about 25 square meters, reeking of sweat, tobacco, and clothes scattered on makeshift beds, more than 20 people live. Ms. Van, from Thieu Hoa district, Thanh Hoa province, said: "We are all from the same village; two families are also sharing this place. We leave in the morning and return at night. The room is just a place to sleep, so we rent collectively to save money..." Besides the ever-present risks for self-employed workers (both men and women), such as being easily lured into social vices, female workers face a high risk of being violated in terms of dignity, sexually harassed, and trafficked. According to statistics from the Provincial Police, from 1998 to the present, more than 700 women and girls have been trafficked in 18 out of 19 districts and towns (excluding Vinh City), with the highest numbers in Quynh Luu: 76 people; Con Cuong: 49; Dien Chau: 32; Anh Son: 31... Age: over 16 years old accounts for 95%, under 16 years old accounts for 5%. The majority of those trafficked have unstable occupations, and a large number are migrant workers who come to the city for work. Not only are there difficulties for the workers themselves, but the migration to cities in search of work in general, and for women in particular, also poses significant challenges for society. The number of victims is constantly fluctuating. The increasing insecurity and environmental pollution are some of the difficulties faced by local authorities in managing freelance workers in the area.

Currently, spontaneous migration to cities for work, as mentioned, is not encouraged but not discouraged either. While awaiting solutions to create jobs for rural workers locally, such as vocational training, employing workers whose land has been expropriated in industrial zones, and providing loans for overseas employment, equipping workers with knowledge about safe migration is essential and a "necessary action" for relevant authorities and sectors.

Nguyet Anh