Domestic work has long existed not only in Vietnam but also in almost all countries in the world. Domestic workers, most of them are women, play an important role not only for the families employing them but also for the national economy and the labour market. Although domestic work provides higher income than farm work and other freelance jobs, it does not meet the demand for basic living standards: it rarely generates sufficient pay, adequate working conditions or secured social protection. Besides, prejudice on domestic work and domestic workers remains heavy in our society.

The Monograph “Vietnamese Domestic Workers”, compiled by the Research Centre for Gender, Family and Community Development (GFCD) has 5 chapters: Chapter I. International and Vietnamese legal framework on domestic workers; Chapter II. Overview of Vietnamese Domestic Workers; Chapter III. Socio-economic values of domestic workers; Chapter IV. Competency Standards for domestic workers; and Chapter V. Recommendations and policy implications. It provides synthesis and analysis of research results, Vietnamese and international laws and regulations relating domestic workers.

It is expected that the monograph will be a useful book, basically meeting the need for information on domestic workers in service of management, research and development of policies and plans of government agencies, research institutions and readers at home and abroad. The book is competed with technical and financial assistance from Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Southeast Asia in cooperation with the Vietnamese consultant team.